Page 134 - CW E-Magazine (14-11-2023)

Point of View

damage to life and property. Many hazards can be minimised right at the process design stage, utilising the experience of chemists,
chemical engineers and technologists. Often, this involves substitution of one chemical reagent by another, and at times even modifying
the manufacturing route. Converting batch processes to continuous ones is yet another option, even for low volume fine chemicals. The
CSIR-National Chemical Laboratory (CSIR-NCL), in Pune, has built considerable expertise in this area, and catalysed some migration to this
manufacturing option. Process intensification has allowed miniaturisation of chemical plants to surprisingly small size and proving to be a
safer production option for hazardous chemistry.

Process safety is a journey that needs a relentless focus on continuous improvement. This entails assessing and enhancing safety
processes and protocols to ensure efficacy and relevance, and to stay abreast with technological improvements. Safety audits can identify
potential hazards within the process, and safety committees can facilitate the discovery and implementation of safety enhancements.

It is a cliché to say that safety needs to be one of a company’s core values, and given at least equal importance as other values like
production, quality, customer service and profitability. Safety must be integral to the way business is conducted – not an afterthought, and
operating discipline has to be a reflection of the safety behaviour of everyone in the company. It starts at the top, or doesn’t start at all – and
the stronger it is, the better the response and performance of the rest of the organisation. In any successful organisation, large or small,
working safely is part of everyone’s job, and effective safety training must be targeted to the needs of the individuals at each organisational
level and include something for everyone – specific task skills, motivational tools, observation techniques and communication skills.

Challenges in India
India’s chemical industry is unique – with the possible exception of China’s – in the sheer numbers of SMEs that operate. In most, there
are no dedicated SHE personnel, and regular training is not imparted to operators and supervisors on hazardous operations. And in many,
operations are managed by unskilled or semi-skilled persons or persons with limited technical knowledge. Outsourcing critical operations
to third-party contractors adds another dimension to the problem. Most SMEs are also highly challenged with respect to access to capital,
and technology.

These limitations need to be overcome through appropriate policy interventions, fiscal support to aid modernisation, and hand-holding,
especially by larger units that have much to share by way of technical knowhow. Penalties and shut-downs should be reserved for those
who show no inclination for change to safer operations.

Another glaring issue is that there seem to be no learnings from accidents, in large measure due to the fact that there is little public
disclosure of their root causes. Most accident reports by regulatory agencies remain shrouded in secrecy, especially when there have been
no casualties, and the impacted industries, left to their own, are loathe to talk about it, and when they do choose to cover-up the causes
and downplay the impacts. This runs counter to best practices elsewhere; in the US, for example, a Chemical Safety Board independently
studies chemical accidents and makes its findings public – with the aim of preventing repeat incidents. There is no reason why a similar
body cannot be created here, given the wide technical expertise that exists.

Clear zoning needed
While the industry must be expected to do all that is practically and technologically possible to minimise accidents, the fact remains
that the chemical industry will remain a hazardous one. While the industry first came up distant from population clusters, especially in
Maharashtra and Gujarat, small population clusters soon sprang up alongside, quickly grew in size and hemmed the industry into an
uncomfortable and dangerous situation. This has seriously amplified risks.

Given the essential nature of the industry, it is important India’s policy makers find suitable homes for it, preferably in coastal areas
for logistical and operational reasons, besides safety. State industrial development corporations and municipal bodies must also ensure
sanctity of this space, and prevent encroachments.

In the absence of integrated manufacturing clusters – commonplace in much of the developed world – a substantial volume of chemicals
travels fairly long distances, mostly by road. This is also an unsustainable situation, given that chemical production and demand are rising
at a rapid clip. There is need to create dedicated zones in which the industry can thrive in close proximity, and to create networks of
pipelines especially for carrying highly hazardous chemicals. This aspect is only now beginning to engage the industry and regulators, and
is a not a day too soon.
Ravi Raghavan

134 Chemical Weekly November 14, 2023

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