Process safety

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The area of process safety focuses on preventing fires, explosions and accidental chemical releases in chemical process facilities. Process safety is distinguished from matters of worker's health and safety issues (ie. limitations on particles or safety regulations on ladders).

PROCESS SAFETY is the shortened name for safety at Highly Hazardous Chemicals (HHC) processes. Process Safety generally refers to the prevention of unintentional releases of chemicals, energy, or other potentially dangerous materials (including steam) during the course of refinery processes that can have a serious effect. Process safety involves, for example, the prevention of leaks, spills, equipment malfunction, over-pressures, over-temperatures, corrosion, metal fatigue and other similar conditions. Process safety programs focus on design and engineering of facilities, maintenance of equipment, effective alarms, effective control points, procedures and training.

PERSONAL SAFETY, comparatively, focuses on injuries such as slips, trips, falls, struck-by incidents and strains. Personal safety programs place a heavy emphasis on hard hats, glasses, slicker suits, goggles, gloves, steel toe shoes and other personal protective equipment. In general, process safety focuses on HHC workplace safety, and personal safety focuses on worker safety.