Chapter 1 Introduction

In 1987, Robert M. Solow, an economist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, received the Nobel Prize in economics for his work in determining the sources of economic growth. Professor Solow concluded that the bulk of an economy’s growth is the result of technological advances.

It is reasonable to conclude that the growth of an industry is also dependent on technological advances. This is especially true in the chemical industry, which is entering an era of more complex processes: higher pressure, more reactive chemicals, and exotic chemistry.

More complex processes require more complex safety technology. Many industrialists even believe that the development and application of safety technology is actually a constraint ...

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