Risk-Based Process Safety (RBPS) Leadership and Culture
23rd January 2026
What could possibly go wrong?
What needs to go right?
How will I know if I’ve done enough?
On 20 January 2026, the IChemE Safety Centre delivered an webinar offering a practical introduction to process safety leadership. The session was designed for a wide range of sectors, including food and drink, water, waste management, new energy, recycling, mining, minerals and metals.
There were 775 expressions of interest, and 380 people attended the live event.
The webinar included a preview of a new web-based training programme currently being developed for IChemE Safety Centre Partners. Participants will gain insights into core RBPS concepts, explore real-life industry examples, and reflect on common leadership challenges as well as signposting the full range of process safety training available through IChemE.
Watch the webinar: Risk-Based Process Safety (RBPS) Leadership and Culture
Speakers
Fiona Macleod, IChemE Safety Centre
Fiona is a Chartered Engineer with more than 40 years of hands-on industrial experience across the chemical and power sectors. A Cambridge University chemical engineering graduate, she has held roles in design, construction, commissioning, operations, maintenance and senior leadership for organisations such as Eastman Chemicals, Hovione, Victrex, ICI, Johnson Matthey and BP.
Following a long and varied industrial career, Fiona shifted her focus to academia, teaching process safety and loss prevention at the University of Sheffield before joining the IChemE Safety Centre. She is also an established fiction author, writing under the name Fiona Erskine.
Charles Cowley, Cranfield University School of Management
Charles has been a CCPS staff consultant since 2012 and has led several major publication projects. He represents CCPS at the European Commission's Major Accident Hazards Bureau and previously spent 27 years at Shell. His experience spans safety auditing, major accident investigations and leadership in process safety.
Charles developed and led IChemE's Engineering Project Management training course and currently serves as a course director for the Process Safety Leadership and Culture programme.
If you would like further information, please get in touch at safetycentre@icheme.org or explore our available training options online.
International Process Safety Day 2025 (IPSD)
The IChemE Safety Centre (ISC) proudly hosted three panel discussions:
- Adaptive Leadership in Process Safety, Charles Cowley
- Grenfell Tower Fire 2017, Gill Kernick
- Management of Change - How effective is your process? Laurence Ledrut
We are continuing to promote International Process Safety Day (IPSD) and encourage anyone who could not join us live to explore the full program, which will remain accessible until the end of 2026. The complete agenda is available through the official program page.