Analysis, Synthesis, and Design of Chemical Processes, Fourth Edition

Chapter 26. Health, Safety, and the Environment

What You Will Learn

• The basics of health, environment, and safety

One goal of chemical engineering is to produce goods and services that enhance the quality of life. Chemical engineers have been at the forefront of efforts to improve health (e.g., pharmaceuticals), safety (e.g., shatterproof polymer glasses), and the environment (e.g., catalytic converters). Moreover, throughout the product life cycle, chemical engineers are concerned with potential harm to the health and safety of people and damage to the environment. This chapter focuses on assessment of these potential dangers. Chapter 27 focuses on proactive strategies to avoid them.

Although many of the chemical processing industries regard ...