• Process Safety Lessons Taught from Experience (Ron Willey, Northeastern University) (2011)
  Provides discussion of important case histories related to process safety and the lessons available from experience to avoid similar mistakes.
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  Introduction

  This certificate reviews important case histories related to process safety including:

  • Bhopal
  • Seveso
  • Example tank failures
  • T2

  This certificate is designed to provide insight into important case histories related to process safety. By learning from the mistakes of others, the hope is to avoid similar mistakes. The certificate requires about three hours to complete. Although developed for chemical engineering faculty and students, the certificate can also be used as part of the safety orientation at industrial facilities.

  To obtain this certificate, students should study all of the resources below and then pass the online exam to successfully complete this Safety Certificate.

  Files

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• Process Safety 101 (Jon Bernardi, The Lubrizol Corporation) (2010)
  Provides information for a basic understanding of the United States process safety regulations and general chemical process safety concepts.
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  Introduction

  This certificate reviews elementary concepts related to process safety including:

  • process descriptions
  • Process Safety Management (PSM)
  • mechanical integrity
  • process controls
  • flammability
  • static electricity
  • Design Institute for Emergency Relief Systems (DIERS) and reliefs
  • Corrosion

  The American Institute for Chemical Engineers and Center for Chemical Process Safety are excellent engineering resources for this information. National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) and American Petroleum Institute (API) are also good sources, but some of these resources may not be available on the internet without cost. Some NFPA documents are available as read only documents at the NFPA web site, and the registration process to gain access is currently handled (and validated) based on an e-mail address. Other web sites (such as www.chemicalprocessing.com and www.eng-tips.com) have useful information, but registration (e-mail address) with the site is required; these sites are particularly helpful in the area of process control (both sites) and corrosion (eng-tips).

  To obtain this certificate, students should study all of the resources below and then pass the online exam to successfully complete this Safety Certificate.

  Files

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• Dust Explosion Control (Joe Louvar, Wayne State University) (2010)
  Introduces background for understanding and preventing dust explosions.
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  Introduction

  Dust explosions have received a lot of attention in recent years from industry and the U.S. Chemical Safety Board (CSB). CSB has made recommendations that should help prevent dust explosions, and this certificate is based on these recommendations. To obtain this certificate, students should study all of the resources below and then pass the online exam to successfully complete this Safety Certificate.

  To obtain this certificate, students should study all of the below resources and then pass the online exam to successfully complete this Safety Certificate.

  Files

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• Inherently Safer Design (Dennis Hendershot, CCPS Staff Consultant) (2009)
  Provides information for understanding inherently safer design of chemical processes and plants.
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  Introduction

  Inherently safer design has received a lot of attention in recent years from industry, environmental groups, and has even been discussed in the general public and mass media. As of the summer of 2009, the state of New Jersey requires a consideration of inherently safer design options for facilities covered by its Toxic Catastrophe Prevention Program (TCPP), and Contra Costa County, California (east San Francisco Bay area) requires a similar evaluation for facilities covered by its industrial safety ordinance. Bills have been introduced in the United States Congress requiring consideration of inherently safer design, both for safety and also as for potential benefit in making chemical facilities less attractive targets for terrorist activity. As of the summer of 2009, these proposals had not passed in Congress, but legislation is again under consideration.

  To obtain this certificate, students should study all of the below resources and then pass the online exam to successfully complete this Safety Certificate.

  Files

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• Safety in the Process Industries (Dan Crowl, Michigan Tech University) (2008)
  Video series that introduces the application of chemical process safety technology in an actual chemical facility.
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  Introduction

  This video series entitled "Safety in the Chemical Process Industries" presents a strong introduction to the application of chemical process safety technology in an actual chemical facility. The video series is divided in roughly 30 minute segments with a total viewing time of 3.5 hours. Topics include:

  • concept of corporate safety programs
  • laboratory safety inspections
  • personal protective equipment
  • process area safety features and procedures
  • DIERS methods for characterizing runaway reactions
  • equipment and methods to characterize flammable dusts and vapors
  • informal and formal safety reviews

  To obtain this certificate, students view the streaming video series and then download and study the Study Guide. After watching the videos and reading the Study Guide, students must pass the online exam to successfully complete this Safety Certificate.

  Files

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• Risk Assessment (Ralph W. Pike, Louisiana State University) (2008)
  Browser-based SAChE product that provides an overview of the methods used for risk assessment, management, and reduction with examples and exercises.
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  Introduction

  Topics focus on the detection, prevention and mitigation of risks including:

  • Screening Analysis Techniques
  • Hazard and Operability Studies (HAZOPS)
  • Checklist Reviews
  • Fault Tree and Event Tree Analysis
  • Preliminary Hazards Analysis
  • Chemical Plume and Dispersion Analysis
  • Safety Audit
  • Explosion and Fire Analysis
  • What-if Analysis
  • Assessment of Health Effects
  • Failure Modes and Effects Analysis (FMEA)
  • Quantified Risk Assessment

  The course material prepares students to develop the information needed in plant design in a senior-level design course (e.g., a HAZOP on a process flow diagram) or provides background to topics discussed in a process safety course. This product was also designed for practicing engineers or chemists who will be involved with risk analyses. The course material emphasizes how the methods for risk assessment, management, and reduction are related and function together.

  To obtain this certificate, study the Risk Assessment self-study course (2008 SAChE Product). This course is narrated (available by clicking on a text icon). The course is distributed in a zipped file to preserve the directory structure. After unzipping the file, start the course by pointing a browser to the file index1.html in the Risk Assessment folder. After studying the materials, students must pass the online exam to successfully complete the Safety Certificate.

  Files

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• Runaway Reactions (Amy Theis, Fauske and Associates) (2008)
  CSB video and SAChE products that demonstrate the potential hazards and methods for controlling runaway reactions.
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  Introduction

  This SACHE Student Safety Certificate focuses on managing chemical reaction hazards, particularly runaway reactions. Chemical reactions are integral to the process industries, and it is critical that reactions be properly understood in order to handle them safely. Available resources for identifying potential runaway reactions are presented in this module as well as tools for sizing relief systems to safely control and contain these potential runaway reactions.

  Three sources of information should be studied to successfully complete the test for this module:

  • U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (CSB) safety video entitled "Reactive Hazards: Dangers of Uncontrolled Chemical Reactions", dated July 31, 2007 (available through the CSB website at http://www.csb.gov/videoroom/default.aspx? or YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sRuz9bzBrtY)
  • SACHE Product "Rupture of a Nitroanaline Reactor" (2007) by Dr. Ronald Willey
  • SACHE module "Runaway Reaction – Experimental Characterization and Vent Sizing" (2005) by Dr. Ron Darby.

  To obtain this certificate, students study the information sources above and pass the online exam to successfully complete the Safety Certificate.

  Files

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• Chemical Reactivity Hazards (Robert Johnson, Unwin Co.) (2008)
  Web-based SAChE product that provides an overview of the basic understanding of chemical reactivity hazards; supplemented with selected issues of the Process Safety Beacon from the SAChE archive.
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  Introduction

  "Chemical Reactivity Hazards" is a web-based SAChE module that shows how uncontrolled chemical reactions can lead to serious harm. Key concepts for avoiding unintended reactions and controlling intended reactions are discussed including:

  • Three major incidents that show the potential consequences of uncontrolled reactions,
  • How chemical reactions get out of control, including consideration of reaction path, heat generation and removal, and people/property/environmental response,
  • Data and lab testing resources used to identify reactivity hazards,
  • Four approaches to making a facility inherently safer with respect to chemical reactivity hazards, and
  • Strategies for designing facilities both to prevent and to mitigate uncontrolled chemical reactions.

  An extensive Glossary and Bibliography are directly accessible from any page. This web-based instructional module contains about 100 pages.

  To obtain this certificate, study the Chemical Reactivity Hazards self-study course (2005 SAChE Product). The course is distributed using a Word with a link to the web-based course and login information. Process Safety Beacons from March 2003, August 2003, December 2004, March 2005, August 2005, January 2006, and July 2006 should also be studied. After studying the materials, students must pass the online exam to successfully complete the Safety Certificate.

  Files

  You must be logged in as a student to view Student Certificate Program files. Log in here to view these files.

After students have completed a module, they must successfully complete an on-line questionnaire which is available at http://www.aiche.org/SAChE_Questions.aspx to receive recognition. Lists of students who successfully complete a module will be sent to their SACHE contact school or department in addition to companies who are supporting the program; see the list of students who have completed the certificate in 2008 (PDF), 2009 (PDF), 2010 (PDF) or 2011 (PDF) (or 2011 (Excel format)).

For further information, please contact AIChE Customer Service (1-800-242-4363 or customerservice@aiche.org).