Handbook for Process Safety in Laboratories and Pilot Plants

2 Managing Risk to Prevent Incidents

2.1 Some LAPP Characteristics

Although the operating characteristics of LAPPs differ from those in the CPI (Chemical Process Industry), process safety risk reduction in a LAPP is essential due to frequent changes. The changes must be addressed with a change management system to ensure the safety of the staff performing the work. For example, frequent changes may occur in LAPP:

• programs and their projects
• equipment and their service
• equipment operating conditions
• chemical syntheses
• staffing
• operating schedules

Staff turnover, for example, occurs relatively often in an academic laboratory. Laboratories may operate experiments with minimal or no staff once the experiment is running. Some work may occur overnight or over the weekend with minimal staff.

2.1.1 Frequent changes to programs and equipment

Many new project activities in LAPPs represent the first time an organization has worked with certain chemicals under specific operating conditions or in new equipment. Implementing hazard identification protocols and formal safety reviews offers the opportunity to analyze and control new hazards and reduce the risks.

The relatively short duration of many projects conducted in LAPPs, or the short lifetime of specially designed equipment or systems also often presents significant challenges for safety and risk management. Duration of use for equipment, systems, and facilities may span only weeks or months with many experimental apparatus’ or systems ...