- Student Records
Programme & Unit Catalogues


CE20223: Safety and ethics in chemical engineering practice

Follow this link for further information on academic years Academic Year: 2019/0
Further information on owning departmentsOwning Department/School: Department of Chemical Engineering
Further information on credits Credits: 6      [equivalent to 12 CATS credits]
Further information on notional study hours Notional Study Hours: 120
Further information on unit levels Level: Intermediate (FHEQ level 5)
Further information on teaching periods Period:
Semester 2
Further information on unit assessment Assessment Summary: EX-OB 100%*
Further information on unit assessment Assessment Detail:
  • Open Book Examination of more than 72 hours* (EX-OB 100%)

*Assessment updated due to Covid-19 disruptions
Further information on supplementary assessment Supplementary Assessment:
Like-for-like reassessment (where allowed by programme regulations)
Further information on requisites Requisites:
Further information on descriptions Description: Aims:
The aims are:
* To increase awareness about the importance of ethical considerations and safety in the design and operation of process plant;
* To introduce techniques that can be used to make assessments of safety

Learning Outcomes:
After successfully completing this unit students should be able to:
* Make a formal assessment of risks and how to mitigate them on a given section of a process flow sheet using a HAZOP analysis.
* Evaluate hazards and assess risks by applying the concept of layer of protection analysis (LOPA).
* Describe the main safety issues of procedures outside normal operation, e.g. plant maintenance, start-up, shut-down and emergency relief.
* Recommend or not an investment in a plant modification to address an accident risk with environmental and safety consequences.
* Apply their ethical knowledge to quantify the environmental and safety impacts and the probability of occurrence.
* Apply a decision-making matrix to evaluate whether given project benefits are worth the financial outlay.

Skills:
Analysis [T,F,A]
Problem solving [T,F,A]
Recognition of good and bad safety practice and how to apply best practice. [T,F,A]
Recognition of ethical considerations and how to apply best practice. [T,F,A]

Content:

* Inherent nature of safety and principal hazard sources including flammability, explosivity and toxicity;
* Safety related legislation;
* Risk & hazard analysis, including HAZOP and HAZAN, LOPA, and other safety ssessment techniques;
* Safe practice including lessons learned from past incidents (e.g. Flixborough) and other incidents and accidents presented as case studies;
* Safe operations, including maintenance and work permits, flares, line purging.
* Contrasting decision-making frameworks within industry. Case studies and class discussion about fraud and tolerance to poor safety practices.
* The influence of workplace culture and relationships over ethical behaviour and decision-making.
* How to challenge poor ethical standards or practices in the workplace.
Further information on programme availabilityProgramme availability:

CE20223 is Compulsory on the following programmes:

Department of Chemical Engineering
  • UECE-AFB05 : BEng(Hons) Chemical Engineering (Year 2)
  • UECE-AKB05 : BEng(Hons) Chemical Engineering with Year long work placement (Year 2)
  • UECE-AFM05 : MEng(Hons) Chemical Engineering (Year 2)
  • UECE-AKM05 : MEng(Hons) Chemical Engineering with Year long work placement (Year 2)

Notes: