Safety Assessment for Chemical Processes: Jörg Steinbach, Wiley-Vch., Verlag, 1999, 305 pp.,...
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Safety Assessment for Chemical Processes Jo ¨ rg Steinbach, Wiley-Vch., Verlag, 1999, 305 pp., $185.00, ISBN 3-527-28852-X Jo ¨ rg Steinbach enjoys a reputation as one of the foremost chemical safety experts in Europe. He has applied his considerable expertise to a book to “provide newcomers with an easy ac- cess to the field and help practitioners in the chemical industry to answer all questions concerning their daily work with hazardous materials or poten- tially dangerous chemical plants.” In accordance with the best practices of systems safety, he emphasizes that evaluation of the potential hazards of a reaction should begin at the research stage. He presents techniques for de- termining thermodynamic character- istics and follows with a detailed dis- cussion of methods for calculating heat balance in four types of chemical reactors. The distinction between nor- mal operating conditions and upset conditions is particularly valuable. The chapter on dust explosions ad- dresses an important topic that is too often ignored. In the United States, this book is more likely to appeal to those in re- search or academic fields than to those in industry. American chemical engineers in industry are likely to fa- vor a more empirical approach based on knowledge of the equipment and similar reactions rather than theoreti- cal calculations. Furthermore, the book deals pri- marily with kilogram-scale reactors, and hence the information requires extrapolation for application to the large-volume processes covered under the Process Safety Management stan- dard. A mere eight pages are dedicated to the discussion of six hazard analysis techniques and no examples or sam- ple worksheets are provided. A com- petent safety engineer would already know more than is presented, and there is not enough information to al- low an untrained person even to begin a process hazard analysis. The most daunting aspect of the book is the impenetrable language, which does not reflect idiomatic American English. Word order and se- lection are often awkward, whereas the punctuation sometimes actually obscures the meaning. The publisher has done Steinbach a serious disfavor by failing to provide an editor who speaks English as a native language. Reviewed by Eileen Mason PII S1074-9098(00)00181-7 Laboratory Design, Construction, and Renovation: Participants, Process, and Product Committee on Design, Construction, and Renovation of Laboratory Facilities Board on Chemical Sciences and Technology, National Research Council, 2000, 170 pp., paperback, $35.00, ISBN 0-309-06633-6 “Laboratory facilities are complex, technically sophisticated, and me- chanically intensive structures that are expensive to build and to maintain. Hundreds of decisions must be made before and during new construction or renovation that will determine how successfully the facility will function when completed and how successfully it can be maintained once put into service.” With this introductory statement, the National Research Council’s com- mittee states the problem addressed by this book: What are the Best Manage- ment Practices involved in the plan- ning, design, and construction of new or renovated laboratory space? This is an issue which impacts the daily life of the laboratory safety professional, as we help the occupants of these spaces work safely within the constraints of their building. The practices described in this book will make this job much easier for everyone involved. The committee divided the book into three chapters, addressing Hu- man Issues, Process Issues, and Tech- nical Issues. The Human Issues sec- tion describes the roles of the various parties that will be involved in the planning and design process in a clear and concise fashion. It pays particular attention to the need for a participa- tory process that includes everyone who will be involved in using and maintaining the building, as well as the external community, whose poten- tial concerns (whether economic, land use, or health and safety related) must be specifically addressed as the plan- ning process goes forward. The chapter on Process Issues de- scribes the stages involved in a typical construction project, with specific at- tention to their effect on laboratory buildings. This chapter is important for people who have not been in- volved in a construction project be- fore (which includes most laboratory workers) because it provides an over- view that allows them to understand how the process fits together and what level of detail is considered at each stage. Of special interest in this chap- ter is the attention paid to the Post- construction Phase. In my experience, the importance of building commis- sioning and postoccupancy evalua- tion is often overlooked in the rush to occupy and start using the new laboratories. The final chapter, on Technical Is- sues, gets into some of the design con- siderations associated with laborato- ries and the tradeoffs that arise as the project is planned to serve multiple purposes and audiences. This chapter begins with a discussion of the role of the Environmental Health and Safety Officer and the codes and regulations that affect the design of the building. It then discusses design and cost consid- erations that are specific to laboratory spaces. This chapter is likely to be most useful to the actual occupants and managers of the space, so that 38 © Division of Chemical Health and Safety of the American Chemical Society 1074-9098/01/$20.00 Published by Elsevier Science Inc. RESOURCE REVIEWS
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Transcript of Safety Assessment for Chemical Processes: Jörg Steinbach, Wiley-Vch., Verlag, 1999, 305 pp.,...
Safety Assessment forChemical ProcessesJorg Steinbach,Wiley-Vch., Verlag,1999, 305 pp., $185.00, ISBN3-527-28852-X
Jorg Steinbach enjoys a reputation asone of the foremost chemical safetyexperts in Europe. He has applied hisconsiderable expertise to a book to“provide newcomers with an easy ac-cess to the field and help practitionersin the chemical industry to answer allquestions concerning their daily workwith hazardous materials or poten-tially dangerous chemical plants.” Inaccordance with the best practices ofsystems safety, he emphasizes thatevaluation of the potential hazards ofa reaction should begin at the researchstage. He presents techniques for de-termining thermodynamic character-istics and follows with a detailed dis-cussion of methods for calculatingheat balance in four types of chemicalreactors. The distinction between nor-mal operating conditions and upsetconditions is particularly valuable.The chapter on dust explosions ad-dresses an important topic that is toooften ignored.
In the United States, this book ismore likely to appeal to those in re-search or academic fields than tothose in industry. American chemicalengineers in industry are likely to fa-vor a more empirical approach basedon knowledge of the equipment andsimilar reactions rather than theoreti-cal calculations.
Furthermore, the book deals pri-marily with kilogram-scale reactors,and hence the information requiresextrapolation for application to thelarge-volume processes covered underthe Process Safety Management stan-dard. A mere eight pages are dedicatedto the discussion of six hazard analysistechniques and no examples or sam-ple worksheets are provided. A com-petent safety engineer would alreadyknow more than is presented, andthere is not enough information to al-
low an untrained person even to begina process hazard analysis.
The most daunting aspect of thebook is the impenetrable language,which does not reflect idiomaticAmerican English. Word order and se-lection are often awkward, whereasthe punctuation sometimes actuallyobscures the meaning. The publisherhas done Steinbach a serious disfavorby failing to provide an editor whospeaks English as a native language.
Reviewed by Eileen MasonPII S1074-9098(00)00181-7
Laboratory Design,Construction, andRenovation:Participants, Process,and ProductCommittee on Design,Construction, and Renovation ofLaboratory Facilities Board onChemical Sciences andTechnology, National ResearchCouncil, 2000, 170 pp.,paperback, $35.00, ISBN0-309-06633-6
“Laboratory facilities are complex,technically sophisticated, and me-chanically intensive structures that areexpensive to build and to maintain.Hundreds of decisions must be madebefore and during new construction orrenovation that will determine howsuccessfully the facility will functionwhen completed and how successfullyit can be maintained once put intoservice.”
With this introductory statement,the National Research Council’s com-mittee states the problem addressed bythis book: What are the Best Manage-ment Practices involved in the plan-ning, design, and construction of newor renovated laboratory space? This isan issue which impacts the daily life ofthe laboratory safety professional, aswe help the occupants of these spaceswork safely within the constraints oftheir building. The practices described
in this book will make this job mucheasier for everyone involved.
The committee divided the bookinto three chapters, addressing Hu-man Issues, Process Issues, and Tech-nical Issues. The Human Issues sec-tion describes the roles of the variousparties that will be involved in theplanning and design process in a clearand concise fashion. It pays particularattention to the need for a participa-tory process that includes everyonewho will be involved in using andmaintaining the building, as well asthe external community, whose poten-tial concerns (whether economic, landuse, or health and safety related) mustbe specifically addressed as the plan-ning process goes forward.
The chapter on Process Issues de-scribes the stages involved in a typicalconstruction project, with specific at-tention to their effect on laboratorybuildings. This chapter is importantfor people who have not been in-volved in a construction project be-fore (which includes most laboratoryworkers) because it provides an over-view that allows them to understandhow the process fits together and whatlevel of detail is considered at eachstage. Of special interest in this chap-ter is the attention paid to the Post-construction Phase. In my experience,the importance of building commis-sioning and postoccupancy evalua-tion is often overlooked in the rush tooccupy and start using the newlaboratories.
The final chapter, on Technical Is-sues, gets into some of the design con-siderations associated with laborato-ries and the tradeoffs that arise as theproject is planned to serve multiplepurposes and audiences. This chapterbegins with a discussion of the role ofthe Environmental Health and SafetyOfficer and the codes and regulationsthat affect the design of the building. Itthen discusses design and cost consid-erations that are specific to laboratoryspaces. This chapter is likely to bemost useful to the actual occupantsand managers of the space, so that
38 © Division of Chemical Health and Safety of the American Chemical Society 1074-9098/01/$20.00Published by Elsevier Science Inc.
RESOURCE REVIEWS
