1.4   SAFETY AND RELIABILITY OF PRODUCTION SYSTEMS

Thematic network on hazard assessment of highly reactive systems - HARSNET

Network overview

Accidents occurring in the chemical industries undermine both public and governmental confidence. They often lead to increasing social and regulatory requirements that can constrain the productivity and competitiveness of the process industries in which European companies have a clear leadership. Many large companies are using robust hazard assessment methods - including some sophisticated experimental techniques - to reduce both the frequency and the severity of potential incidents. However, there is a failure to disseminate this best practice (including basic concepts and methodologies) to the huge number of SMEs that are dedicated to the manufacture of fine and specialised chemicals in Europe. Moreover, the equipment cost of experimental techniques that are required for some studies limits their availability within many SMEs. Reaction hazard assessment should be an integral part of the earliest stages of good R&D with the objective of generating inherently safe designs of process and equipment. The techniques required may often be quite inexpensive and quick and the use of expensive testing and equipment should be strictly limited to those cases where they are really necessary.

The aim of HARSNET will be the creation of an extensive forum within which universities, research centres and industries collaborate to improve dissemination of the fundamental knowledge that can be used for hazard assessment of reactive systems. Preparation of short-cut, stepwise methodologies that use simple, non expensive techniques in order to improve the global safety of the chemical industry and to reduce long-term costs in the R&D phase, is the focus of this network.

European dimension and partnership

The partnership of HARSNET has twenty-five participants distributed through nine Member States and Switzerland.

It is important to note that 80% of the countries that form the European Union are represented in HARSNET. What is also clear is that countries with little or no international profile or tradition of publications in the hazard assessment of reactive chemicals are also present in the network. The participation of such countries is to be welcomed and will obviously help meeting HARSNET objectives throughout the whole of the European Union.

Another very important point about the European dimension of HARSNET is the strong industrial presence at 52% of the partnership. This is a most clear demonstration that the subjects addressed by HARSNET are of great relevance to the process industries both big and small.

Potential applications

Theory and good engineering practice are well established for huge-continuous plants but the biggest number of commercially available chemicals are obtained in small-multipurpose-batch chemical facilities. A wide spectrum of processes and equipments make the hazard assessment of processes to produce fine and specialised chemicals a discipline that is too hard for most small and medium producers.

However, prevention of runaways and their consequences has the highest priority for the chemical industry.

Introducing simple testing techniques and easy estimation procedures at the early stages of a process development will also contribute to the selection of better, more robust and inherently safer processes. This in turn will lead to a reduction in R&D costs and improved economic performance in both SMEs and large companies.

Sophisticated instruments have been developed to reproduce accurately industrial processes at bench scale. The most popular are reaction calorimeters that give key information about the thermal potential of real processes according to their temperature, stirring, dosing and pressure programming.

The main objectives of HARSNET are a consequence of the urgent need to introduce hazard assessment techniques for reactive chemicals into the normal working procedures of SMEs. Most of the expensive and specialised experimental techniques commonly involved in such studies are not usually easily available to those concerned. From this point of view, new guidelines should be produced including the idea of a step-by-step assessment procedure based on literature survey, simple predictive calculations and laboratory based testing in readily available equipment.

Contract Brite-Euram Nr: BRRT-CT98-5066

EC Contribution

1 000 000 ECU


Starting Date

1 October 1998

Closing Date

30 September 2002


Duration

48 months


EC scientific officer

Luisa PRISTA SANTOS
Fax: +32-2-295 80 46

Coordinator

Institut Quimic De Sarria
Via Augusta 390
08017 Barcelona
Spain
Rosa Nomen
Tel.: +34-3-203 89 00
Fax: +34-3-205 62 66
E-mail: rnome@iqs.url.es

Basf AG, Technische Entwicklung - Ludwigshafen
(DE)
Chemi SpA, R&D Laboratories - Patrica (Frosinone)
(IT)
CIBA Specialty Chemicals (UK) Ltd. - Macclesfield
(GB)
DOW Benelux N.V. - Terneuzen (NL)
DSM Research BV - Geleen (NL)
Erkimia S.A., Production and Process - Felix (ES)
Esteve Quimica S.A. - Barcelona (ES)
ECC, Institute of Systems, Informatics and Safety -
Ispra (IT)
H. Lundbeck A/S - Copenhagen - Valby (DK)
Hazard Evaluation Laboratory Ltd - Barnet (GB)
Health and Safety Executive - Buxton (GB)
Inburex GmbH Consultinggesellschaft für
Explosionsschutz und Anlagensicherheit - Hamm
(DE)
IRRADIARE, Investigação e Desenvolvimento em
Engenharia e Ambiente Lda. - Oerias (PT)
National Technical University of Athens - Athens
(GR)
Novartis Services AG, Process and Safety Consulting
- Basel (CH)
Sanofi Chimie SA - Aramon (FR)
Segibo S.r.l. - Manerbio (IT)
Solvay Quimica S.L. - Barcelona (ES)
Stazione Sperimentale per i Combustibili SpA -
San Donato Milanese (IT)
Technische Universität Berlin - Berlin (DE)
Università degli Studi di Messina - Sant'Agata
Di Messina (IT)
Universität Hamburg - Hamburg (DE)
Universität Stuttgart - Stuttgart (DE)
Université de Haute Alsace, - Mulhouse (FR)
Universiteit Twente - Enschede (NL)