IChemE Matters – September 2024

Planning for the future

Mark Apsey, IChemE president

Following the election of the new UK government, I have written to incoming ministers welcoming them to their roles and offering our support in relation to industry expertise and future skills. Not only did this allow us to raise the profile of the Institution at government level, but it has also highlighted the unique role that chemical engineering plays in supporting crucial policy areas including climate change, productivity, and the transition towards net zero.

We will be presenting and discussing our Engineering a Sustainable World - the Chemical Engineering Challenge at a Parliamentary and Scientific Committee event on 10 September, drawing attention to how chemical engineers can help the government achieve its aims. With UK party conference season upon us, making an impression now could prove vital to influencing future policies.

Continuing the theme of making connections, I was delighted to represent IChemE at the recent Royal Society of Chemistry Summer Reception and had the pleasure of meeting their new president, Annette Doherty, and CEO Helen Pain. Events like these are always a great opportunity for us to strengthen links with fellow organisations and build valuable relationships that will help to realise our vision of engineering a more sustainable world.

Enticing new blood will be crucial to that and preparations are underway for the launch of our virtual work experience platform. The interactive online tool allows 14-18-year-olds to get a taste of chemical engineering disciplines through a series of engaging online modules led by individuals in energy, food and drink, water and sanitation, and pharma and healthcare.

Finally, as we approach the tail-end of the year, I could not conclude without reference to our IChemE Global Awards, to be held in Manchester on 28 November. While entries are now closed for these prestigious accolades, which celebrate incredible chemical engineering achievements across the globe, there is still time to become a sponsor and associate your company with industry excellence. I hope very much to see you there.

I always welcome any feedback, and value any input or ideas you would like to share – you can contact me at president@icheme.org

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Policy Corner

Duncan Lugton, Head of Policy and Impact

Have you ever thought a government decision or project would be better if only they had more input from chemical engineers? That’s where IChemE’s policy team comes in. We take the insights, skills, and wisdom of IChemE members and apply them to some of the world’s biggest problems. We provide policymakers with research, briefings, and events to help them make better decisions. We work primarily in Westminster, but also engage more broadly across the UK and internationally, particularly in Australia. Our mission is to make IChemE’s voice heard.

The Policy and Impact team is headed by me, Duncan Lugton. I have policy experience in areas including health, justice, and childcare. I’m supported by Charlotte Wessels, who has a degree in chemical engineering and industry experience. Steering our directorate is Andrew Foster, who joined IChemE after a 30-year career in the upstream oil and gas industry.

Since being set up at the end of last year, we have been busy building relationships and raising our profile. We have run roundtables on topics including the safety of battery energy storage systems and how to encourage more young people into STEM. We’ve contributed to a parliamentary consultation on engineering biology, and fed into the work of wider coalitions such as the National Engineering Policy Centre (search out the Engineers 2030 project). And we’ve represented IChemE at public events including a panel discussion hosted by the Royal Society of Chemistry at CHEMUK.

Going forward, we are planning a parliamentary event to champion IChemE’s Engineering a Sustainable World report; another to showcase the Ashok Kumar Fellowship and will continue hosting roundtables to feed in to the work of the new UK government. We will also be looking to contribute to more conversations in Australia and Scotland.

For more on our work and latest activities: https://www.icheme.org/policy

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Hazards 34: Advancing Process Safety

Technical committee chair Eamon Chandler tells Pete White what we can expect at Hazards 34 and what makes it different to last year’s record-breaking conference

Pete White (PW): What do you see as the goals of this year’s conference?

Eamon Chandler (EC): Our goal is to build on the success of 2023 and the strong response to our call for content to enhance process safety management. Our focus will be on promoting good practices in major hazards management, emphasising the role of executive leadership, addressing the challenges posed by new technologies, and exploring opportunities for cross-sector learning.

PW: How does this year’s conference differ from last year’s?
EC: This year’s programme has more on new technologies, carbon capture, and digitalisation. There is slightly less emphasis on procedures and critical task analysis – but more on risk assessment techniques.

PW: What have you identified as the biggest challenges facing the industry, and how does Hazards 34 address them?
EC: The programme reflects the industry’s need to improve process safety management and be prepared for new technologies, particularly those arising from the energy transition and digital advancements. One challenge we will address this year is how to effectively learn from past accidents – such as Bhopal and Flixborough – despite established systems. We must continually focus on the proper implementation of these lessons.

PW: Can you share some examples of new technologies that will be showcased at the conference?
EC: We have lined up over 80 technical presentations from practitioners, experts, and thought leaders. They will highlight innovations such as the ways in which artificial intelligence is being used to enhance safety protocols. We have a whole strand dedicated to digitalisation, the adoption of AI-driven methodologies and the digital risk management tools that are transforming how we approach process safety.

PW: What do you see as the future of process safety, and how is the conference helping to shape this future?
EC: For me, Steve Flynn’s presentation on behalf of IChemE in the Safety Leadership strand, titled “Major Hazards Agenda and Strategy 28: an IChemE update,” is key. The conference, aligned with IChemE’s major hazards strategy, is crucial for advancing process safety. It will address the challenges of the energy transition, support IChemE Safety Centre initiatives, and focus on strengthening leadership, learning from incidents, developing competence, and improving process safety management to ensure ongoing safety improvements in major hazard industries.

PW: Attending Hazards would be a wonderful way for early career professionals to prepare themselves for the future. What are you doing to make it easier for them?
EC: As someone who has attended Hazards many times, I know it’s important to help first-time attendees. That’s why we’ve introduced a limited number of day tickets for engineers aged 30 years or under. We see this as a terrific opportunity for them to dip their toes in the water, see what the conference is all about, and enhance their careers. We’ve included plenty of time for networking, so they have a chance to connect with their peers. The exhibitor stands, the workshops, and the poster areas are a great place to meet others, make new contacts, and discuss what you’ve been hearing in the presentations.

Whether you’re a first-time attendee or a Hazards veteran, we look forward to welcoming you to Hazards 34. Mark your calendars for 5–7 November in Manchester, UK, and be part of this pivotal event. Discover more and secure your spot at www.icheme.org/hazards34