Scotland embraces new industry safety standard

Chemical and process engineers in Scotland are amongst the first in the world to be registered against a new standard to improve process safety in the chemical and process industries.

Leading professional body, the Institution of Chemical Engineers (IChemE), developed the new standard – called Professional Process Safety Engineer – in 2012 as a way to recognise those professionals having a breadth and depth of process safety competences  and to help prevent major accidents such as Piper Alpha, Flixborough, Bhopal and Exxon Valdez.

Over the past two years, IChemE has been building its capacity and capability to roll-out the standard, which has been warmly welcomed by the chemical and process industries. 

The registration award, which is determined by peer review assessment, is open to all engineering professions and recognised at the same professional level as Chartered Engineer and Professional Engineer.

IChemE’s director of qualifications, Neil Atkinson, said: “Since announcing the standard in 2012 we have received hundreds of expressions of interest for Professional Process Safety Engineer. 

“As part of a structured development programme we have been working with small groups of engineers across the world to establish our peer review capability. Over time we anticipate that the registration will become as accessible as the chartered chemical engineer process, but only once a full capability for peer review is established to satisfy global demand.”

At last night’s Aberdeen Members Group Dinner in Scotland, IChemE honoured the first five people to be registered as Professional Process Safety Engineers in Scotland, including Azzam Younes, senior safety consultant at ABB, Jerry Lane, Optimus’ head of safety, Tayo Olusanya, AMEC’s lead safety engineer, Sumeet Pabby, technical safety technical Authority Europe E&P at BG Group and Martin Holley, Shell’s Aberdeen projects HSSE delivery manager.

Atkinson continued: “It is fantastic to witness how Scotland, and especially the Aberdeen process safety community, is stepping forward to embrace the new registration. Aberdeen has long been a centre of process safety expertise and it is great that there is now a professional peer driven qualification to recognise such expertise.”

BG Group’s Sumeet Pabby said: “I am delighted to receive the registration award for the Professional Process Safety Engineer from IChemE. Being one of the first few to be registered makes it all the more special to me. The registration sets the standards in the complex field of process safety from a recognised professional body. 

“This is a positive step for the industry and enables companies to employ and recognise the right professionals in this very important discipline and ultimately improve process safety in the industry.”

AMEC’s Tayo Olusanya said: “The initiative taken by IChemE to standardise competency across the process safety discipline through the award of the Professional Process Safety Engineer registration is highly commendable, and one that will certainly enhance the quality of practitioners in this all important field of engineering. 

“I am indeed humbled to be one of the first streams of process safety engineers to gain this award. This recognition will enhance my motivation to continually promote safe and sound engineering principles in my role within AMEC, among colleagues and within the industry.” 

Optimus’ Jerry Lane said: “It was a genuine privilege to be invited to apply for registration in the first tranche of Professional Process Safety Engineers. The application process was simple and efficient, conducted via the IChemE online portal.  The interview process was also straightforward and I received confirmation of my registration very quickly. So, I was thrilled to receive a formal certificate recognising my election to the Register as a Professional Process Safety Engineer at Aberdeen’s Annual Dinner. 

“I hope that this will encourage others to register and I look forward to contributing as part of the team of assessors who will be reviewing future applications. Promoting formal registration will play an important part in maintaining standards of professionalism in our industry which can only help to improve process safety.”

ABB's Dr Younes said: “Process safety is a specialist field that is important for the safe and effective running of high hazard process plants. It is pleasing that such a valued professional body such as IChemE recognises the importance of process safety and has chosen to distinguish professionals like me, with strong process safety skills, from other professionals within the wider safety field. 

“IChemE expects the Professional Process Safety Engineer registration will become the mark of professional excellence for practitioners worldwide so I’m proud to be representing excellence within ABB Consulting and leading the way here in Scotland.”