Safety, Security and Process Risk Management in the Chemical Industry: A Review of Risk Assessment, Disaster Preparedness and Emerging Technologies

Abstract

The chemical process industry is indispensable to modern society but involves inherent risks associated with toxic, flammable, reactive and corrosive substances, high pressures and temperatures, complex process interactions and large inventories. Although major accidents are relatively infrequent, their consequences may extend beyond the plant boundary and affect workers, emergency responders, communities, infrastructure and the environment. This review re-examines chemical-industry safety and security from an integrated process-safety and disaster-risk-management perspective, using the author's earlier article as its foundation while substantially rewriting and expanding its content. The review covers hazard identification, HAZOP, What-If analysis, FMEA, fault-tree analysis, Layer of Protection Analysis, quantitative risk assessment, inherently safer design, management of change, safety instrumented systems, mechanical integrity, human factors, emergency planning and community preparedness. It also considers natural-hazard-triggered technological accidents, the Indian regulatory framework and international approaches including OSHA Process Safety Management and ISO 45001. Recent developments in digitalization, sensors, predictive analytics, digital twins and artificial intelligence are examined as opportunities for early warning and decision support, together with their cybersecurity and human-factor implications. The review concludes that effective chemical safety cannot depend on a single safeguard. It requires a continuously verified system integrating safer design, reliable equipment, competent people, strong safety culture, emergency preparedness, physical and cyber security, and organizational learning.