Chemical Industry Journal 15

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| CHEMICAL INDUSTRY JOURNAL |

www.chemicalindustryjournal.co.uk

| foreword |

Welcome Reaching for reach Ellen Rossiter Editor in chief

Editor Ellen Rossiter ellen.rossiter@distinctivepublishing.co.uk

Design Distinctive Publishing, 3rd Floor, Tru Knit House, 9-11 Carliol Square, Newcastle, NE1 6UF Tel: 0191 580 5990 www.distinctivepublishing.co.uk

Advertising Distinctive Publishing, 3rd Floor, Tru Knit House, 9-11 Carliol Square, Newcastle, NE1 6UF Tel: 0191 5805990 Helen Flintoff Business Development Manager email: helen.flintoff@distinctivegroup.co.uk www.distinctivepublishing.co.uk

Distinctive Publishing or BioScience Today cannot be held responsible for any inaccuracies that may occur, individual products or services advertised or late entries. No part of this publication may be reproduced or scanned without prior written permission of the publishers and BioScience Today.

Welcome to the latest edition of the Chemical Industry Journal, in which a Nobel Prize winner speaks to us.

“Nature is the best chemist on the planet,” comments Dr Frances Arnold, the American Chemist and Engineer, as she provides an insight into her life and work. Winner of both the 2018 Nobel Prize in Chemistry and the 2016 Millennium Technology Prize, Dr Arnold is one of only three scientists to have won both accolades. She is also the Linus Pauling Professor of Chemical Engineering, Bioengineering and Biochemistry at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech).

Discover more about Dr Arnold’s pioneering work in the area of directed evolution and why, in common with other innovators, she initially faced scepticism. Learn how plant sugars could provide the answer to creating renewable aircraft fuel and what needs to happen for this and other renewable fuels to become feasible alternatives. What, in your opinion, are the biggest challenges science has yet to solve? Turn the pages to see if you agree with Dr Arnold’s assessment of our most pressing concerns.

Implementing a UK version of REACH is something which has perplexed the Chemical industry since the prospect of Brexit first reared its head. The Chemical Business Association (CBA) proposes a solution that will make UK REACH workable by solving the crucial issue of access to testing data. Find out more from Peter Newport, the CBA’s Chief Executive. The Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) is considering the CBA’s proposal and we await the outcome with interest.

The CBA also examines the latest trends in the industry, assessing the continued impact of Brexit uncertainty on businesses.

Whilst the Solvents Industry Association provides us with an overview of the latest news in the sector, from the appointment of their new chairman to the re-release of their safety film about the Safe Handling of Solvents.

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We also take a close look at process safety leadership. Andy Stanley illuminates the critical role leaders play in establishing a process safety conscious culture and engaging the whole workforce in achieving good process safety management.

Over a decade on from the eight principles of process safety leadership being agreed, Andy assesses what progress has been made and why it’s imperative leaders remain at the heart of process safety.

Digital transformation is a necessity if businesses are to maintain and develop a competitive position in local and global markets – but how do they best go about doing so?

Drawing on the white paper - Chemical Industry 4.0, a formula for investment, Ian Elsby examines how the sector can bring about the digitalisation of chemical manufacturing.

Ian takes us through the five building blocks businesses should put in place in order to address the digital challenge, from the physical environment to the standardisation of data protocols and more. Ultimately, helping businesses to provide better customer service and to harness financial and competitive benefits.

The interconnectivity of networked ICS/SCADA management systems poses a security risk, in this issue, Karl Jones explores possible steps to take for mitigating the cyber security threat.

Did you attend the CHEMUK (2019) 2-day UK Chemical Industries Supply Chain Expo & Open Conference? Then you’ll have felt the positive response this inaugural event received.

Read an overview of the expo in which over 170 exhibitors came together at the Yorkshire Event Centre (YEC) Harrogate, catering to over 2,100 visitors and learn about their plans for 2020.

Browse through this issue to find out what’s making the news in the chemical industry today.

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Nobel Prize winner talks to us

features

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28 Stepping up to the chemical digitalisation challenge Process safety leadership in focus

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contents www.chemicalindustryjournal.co.uk

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Introduction/Foreword

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Contents

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elementary

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Industry Contributors

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News

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chemuk

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issue 15

Industry welcomes brand new expo for uk chemical industries

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18-22

industry 4.0 Stepping up to the chemical digitalisation challenge

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An unintended consequence of Industry 4.0

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big interview We speak to Andy Stanley, Managing Director and founding partner of RAS, a specialist risk management firm with particular expertise in high hazard industries

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nobel prize winner We talk to Dr Frances Arnold, the American chemist and engineer, who won the 2018 Nobel Prize in Chemistry and the 2016 Millennium Technology Prize for her work in pioneering directed evolution

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chemical supply chain CBA trends survey

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Nepic Broadening perspectives & promoting best practice

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solvent industry association SIA re-issues Safe Handling of Solvents Safety Film

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training and education Why is so much attention being paid to major hazard leadership?

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reach CBA publishes plan to make UK REACH workable

SIA re-issues Safe Handling of Solvents Safety Film

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ELEMENTARY

Telegraph STEM Awards 2019 A radical proposal by an Aberystwyth biochemistry student for a portable test to detect TB in humans has won the top prize in The Telegraph STEM Awards 2019.

Eleanor Wilson came up with the idea of using the CRISPR gene editing platform to diagnose TB in humans during the third year of her MBiol degree at Aberystwyth’s Institute of Biological, Environmental and Rural Sciences (IBERS).

Croda Accolade Croda International Plc, who create, make and sell high performance ingredients that are relied on by industries and consumers everywhere, are delighted to have been named the Chemical Industry Association (CIA) Company of the Year, as well as winning the CIA Environmental Leadership Award.

RoSPA Award for 11th consecutive year

The CIA Awards highlight the excellent performance of companies and individual manufacturing sites within the UK chemical industry. In presenting the Company of the Year Award to Croda, the CIA acknowledged the significant investments that the business has made in the UK over the past two years, their continuing growth in exporting products around the world, and their commitment to innovation through their Smart Partnering and Open Innovation Programme.

The safe working practices of ECS Engineering Services have been recognised by a ninth Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) Gold Award, adding to a total of eleven consecutive awards received by the turnkey electromechanical service provider to the water, power generation and environment sectors.

Again, the award illustrates ECS’ commitment to safe working practices in-house at its Nottinghamshire headquarters and on sites across the country.

$100 million commitment The University of Chicago has announced a $100 million commitment from the Pritzker Foundation to support the new Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering, becoming the first university in the United States with a school dedicated to this emerging field.

The Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering will expand the University’s research, education, technology development and impact in molecular engineering, which builds on advances in basic science to design technology from the molecular level up, providing pivotal new approaches to fundamental societal challenges.

2020 Priestley Medalist

Swedish Steel Prize 2019 Applications are now being accepted for the Swedish Steel Prize 2019, the steel industry’s most prestigious award, which celebrates its 20th anniversary this year.

The Swedish Steel Prize is an award for ideas and products that have an impact on future steel solutions, and it attracts competitors from across the world. It will be awarded on November 14th, 2019 in Stockholm, Sweden as part of the Swedish Steel Prize 2019 event.

Applications are now being accepted.

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The American Chemical Society (ACS) has selected JoAnne Stubbe, Ph.D., of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) as the recipient of the 2020 Priestley Medal, the society’s highest honour.

Stubbe, the Novartis Professor of Chemistry and Biology, emerita, at MIT, is being recognised for “pioneering studies of enzymatic radical chemistry, long-range proton-coupled electron transfer, DNA cleavage by anti-cancer drugs, enzymatic formation of polyesters and purine biosynthesis.”

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ELEMENTARY

Renewable Energy employment

More sustainable powdered coatings Powder coatings have always offered customers numerous environmental benefits - now they’ve become even more sustainable following the launch of a full range of Interpon Low-E products developed by AkzoNobel.

The company introduced its first Low-E products - a coarse texture range - late last year. Now a complete range of smooth finishes in Interpon 610 has been added to the Low-E portfolio. Specially engineered for curing at temperatures lower than the current standard of 180-190°C, the new offering is TGIC-free polyester, which saves energy and helps customers to improve their efficiency.

Designed for a wide range of customers, including industrial manufacturers of steel constructions, street and garden furniture, and agricultural and construction equipment, a total of 50 smooth products are included in the range - in gloss, satin and matt finishes.

Nouryon expands capacity Plastic additive shields

Nouryon has increased production capacity for dialkyl peroxide at the company’s Ningbo site, China, by 25 percent after completing a major expansion project. The product, branded as Perkadox 14, is essential in the manufacture of many elastomerbased products, ranging from sports goods to industrial wires and cables.

Xingshengdi New Materials Co., Ltd, a manufacturer of communication equipment, electronics and electrical appliances in China, has used BASF’s plastic additives to produce 5G base stations for major international telecommunications companies. With Tinuvin® 360, the outdoor 5G base stations can withstand weathering and degradation by intense sunlight, thus maintaining stable service with extended life span.

“Demand for Perkadox 14 in Asia and worldwide is on the rise because it has less odor compared to other organic peroxides on the market, which is ideal for consumer products such as athletic shoe soles and yoga mats,” said Markus Majoor, Global Market Segment Lead at Nouryon. “We manufacture a significant share of the dialkyl peroxide that is used in the market today, and through this expansion we are ready to meet growing customer demand and strengthen our leadership position.”

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Eleven million people were employed in renewable energy worldwide in 2018 according to the latest analysis by the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA). This compares with 10.3 million in 2017. As more and more countries manufacture, trade and install renewable energy technologies, the latest Renewable Energy and Jobs – Annual Review finds that renewables jobs grew to their highest level despite slower growth in key renewable energy markets including China.

Cefic launches dialogue The European Chemical Industry Council (Cefic) has launched a dialogue about the future of the chemical industry and its role in building a prosperous and more sustainable Europe by 2050.

The next ten years will be decisive for the future of the EU chemical industry. During this time, it will need to develop its own competitive place in the global economy while adapting to new challenges. These challenges include a decline in globalisation and free trade, the EU goal of a climate neutral economy, a talent crunch and increasing transparency of supply chains due to digitalisation and blockchain.

Short story or article to share?

Send them to our Editor, Ellen Rossiter, at ellen.rossiter@distinctivepublishing.co.uk

| contributors biodigestables | |

| CHEMICAL INDUSTRY | CHEMICAL JOURNAL INDUSTRY SUMMER JOURNAL 2018 |

Peter Newport Chief Executive of the Chemical Business Association (CBA)

Ian Elsby Head of Chemical Industry, Siemens Digital Industries

CBA is a not-for-profit business organisation representing the independent chemical supply chain in the UK. Its member companies distribute, pack, and blend over four million tonnes of chemicals each year with a market value of almost three billion euros.

With more than 15 years’ experience gained within the process sector & automation business, Ian holds a wealth of chemical industry-specific knowledge. As Head of Chemical Industry, Siemens UK & Ireland, Ian’s current role sees him responsible for liaising directly with the Global Chemical Sector HQ advising on the industry challenges faced by UK manufacturers, OEMs and engineering businesses to ensure Siemens develops value based solutions and technologies for its clients.

Peter is a key industry advocate to governmental and regulatory authorities in the UK and Europe.

He is also a board member and current Treasurer of the European Association for Chemical Distributors (Fecc) and a board member of the International Chemical Trade Association (ICTA).

Neil Smith Head of Workforce Development at Cogent Skills Training Ltd

Andrew Norman General Secretary, Solvents Industry Association

He has been a member of the Process Safety Management Competence Programme Board since 2010, and supports major hazard businesses to adopt the PSM Training Standards and develop their own bespoke approach to cascading awareness of major accident hazards and their management across the whole of their workforce.

Following a successful commercial career in chemical distribution and chemical manufacturing, Andrew has been responsible for the management of the Solvents Industry Association (SIA) since 2013, covering everything from delivery of training courses to production of safety films, liaison with regulators and marketing and promotion.

Ian Stone Programmes Director, CHEMUK Expo & MD of organisers UK Industry Events Ltd

Andy Stanley Managing Director, RAS Ltd

Ian Stone is Managing Director of UK Industry Events, organisers of CHEMUK Expo, launched in 2019.

An experienced business event developer and B2B publisher over 25+ years, Ian has spearheaded both UK & International projects embracing advanced materials, development, production & process engineering, aerospace, automotive and wider technical sectors.

Dr Frances Arnold Linus Pauling Professor of Chemical Engineering, Bioengineering and Biochemistry at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech).

Frances is an American chemist and engineer.

She won the 2016 Millennium Technology Prize for her work in pioneering directed evolution, the only woman to have won the award. Dr Arnold also won the 2018 Nobel Prize in Chemistry and the only ever American woman to win in the subject.

Karl Jones OAMPS Hazardous Industries Karl has spent the past 30 years working with businesses to design and implement successful insurance and risk management strategies across a variety of high-risk sectors; following proven methods devised to lead to fewer, less expensive claims, enhanced operational resilience and improved insurance protection.

Managing Director of RAS Ltd, Andy has worked in the oil, gas, chemical and aviation industries for over 30 years.

Andy has developed a unique approach to risk assessment in the course of his career and is regularly called upon to give advice on how to demonstrate compliance with new regulations.

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The power of professional development To be in the best position for success, employers should always look to recruit and retain the best talent. As the UK’s professional body for the chemical sciences, the Royal Society of Chemistry is here to help practising scientists, and their employers, recognise the value of ongoing professional development for a successful chemistry career.

Highly skilled individuals are in demand, and, increasingly, employers are recognising the value of employing chemical scientists who are committed to continuing professional development (CPD).

While the skills and experience gained through education are vital, equally vital is the knowledge developed over time in the working environment.

Professional skills like team working, application of knowledge, problem solving, project management and communication skills build continually dayto-day.

By working through a clearly defined professional development framework that recognises those skills, chemical scientists can show their abilities more prominently, and employers can ensure consistent high standards – as well as recognition for high-performing employees.

Championing the chemistry profession As the UK’s professional body for chemists, we set and maintain professional standards, enrich the teaching and learning of chemistry, and offer a wide range of support to practising chemists in all areas of academia and industry.

As well as ensuring that everyone entering a chemistry-related role has the appropriate skills to succeed, we provide a number of routes to follow to help build knowledge and maximise potential at every stage of working life.

Supporting individuals For science to flourish, everyone needs an equal chance to develop and apply their talents. We are increasing our influence on education practice and policy, particularly promoting the crucial importance of technical skills, and working to put apprenticeships on an equal footing with academic routes into chemistry.

For a degree programme to gain our accreditation, it must include a focus on transferable professional skills, based on the learning outcomes that are usually embedded throughout the course.

After formal education, we support a dedicated framework of professional recognition that includes the awards of Registered Scientist (RSci) and Registered Science Technician (RSciTech), through to chartered status (CChem, CSci).

The awards are internationally recognised as a mark of the well-developed skills, knowledge and professionalism of those working within the chemical sciences.

Supporting employers

The company accreditation we offer maps to existing training programmes, and offers an expedited route to achieving professional awards. As well as giving employees a clear development framework, it also helps employers to recruit and retain skilled individuals.

This type of programme is well known in other sectors such as engineering, and our accreditation gives real parity for chemists. We also partner with colleges and training providers to entrench the value of apprenticeships and technical skills, raising their profile and helping organisations to offer opportunities for the next generation of talent.

The Royal Society of Chemistry is committed to supporting everyone in the scientific community as they continue to build professional skills and use them to shape the future of the chemical sciences. To find out more about our work, visit rsc.org/about-us

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| CHEMICAL INDUSTRY JOURNAL |

Britain’s chemical industry celebrates 2019 award winners On Thursday 13 June at St George’s Hall in Liverpool, the Chemical Industries Association announced the winners of their 2019 Awards. In a speech before the presentations, Steve Elliott, Chief Executive of the Association said “You have all shown the high quality that exists in workplaces right across this country. Women and men delivering for their employer; companies delivering for their owners, their customers, their workforces and, ultimately, this country. Thank you for what you do and well done”.

THE WINNERS WERE: CIA Company of the Year Award sponsored by Finch Consulting Croda International

INEOS Responsible Care Award Venator, Hartlepool Low Carbon Award sponsored by CIABATA Reckitt Benckiser (UK) Ltd, Derby

ABB Manufacturing & Resource Efficiency Award Stepan UK Ltd, Stalybridge

Outstanding Contribution to the Chemical Industry David Topliffe, Shell Chemicals UK Ltd

Chemical Industry Service Provider Award sponsored by REACHReady Cogent Skills Training Ltd, Darlington

Reputation Award sponsored by CIA Airedale Chemical, Keighley

Environmental Leadership Award sponsored by ERM Croda Europe Ltd, Hull

Special RC Award for Process Safety Leadership sponsored

by HFL Consulting Mexichem Fluor UK, Runcorn

GSK Innovation Award Green Lizard Technologies Ltd, Redcar

Skills Award sponsored by Lucite International UK Ltd GSK, Montrose

Health Leadership Award sponsored by the Health and Safety Executive Livent, Bromborough

Young Ambassador Award sponsored by Scientific Update Hallam Wheatley, SABIC UK Petrochemicals Ltd, Redcar

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New modelling software developed Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl) and Ploughshare Innovations have licensed new software to understand chemical and biological threats.

New software developed by the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl) and licensed to Riskaware by Ploughshare Innovations will allow emergency responders and military commanders to respond more effectively to chemical and biological incidents and in turn reduce the risk to the public and save lives.

Called the Hazard Assessment Simulation and Prediction (HASP) Suite it accurately models how hazardous materials released in towns, cities and open areas disperse.

This will help emergency responders by predicting how any Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear (CBRN) threat will spread and allow them to manage a response to help contain the threat and protect the population.

Developed over two decades, the HASP Suite provides hazard predictions in urban environments in a matter of minutes, greatly improving upon previous models. It also takes into consideration the interactions between indoor and outdoor dispersion and as well as estimating the source parameters, such as location, discharge time, and the amount of substance released.

The HASP Suite will be available as a standalone product from Riskaware from June this year. It will also be available in a next generation CBRN information management system, known as EuroSIM CBRN. John Bishop, Managing Director from Riskaware said: The HASP Suite is an excellent capability and we are both proud and excited to be taking it to market. It will also support our goal to transform Riskware’s business from being a CBRN prediction software developer into a truly global company in CBRN information management.

Ploughshare’s CEO, James Kirby, said: We are pleased another Dstl innovation will be made available to industry and one which will improve the operational effectiveness of teams facing CBRN threats. This deal further demonstrates how Ploughshare maximises the MOD’s investment in Science & Technology by delivering capability to front-line services.

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| news |

| CHEMICAL INDUSTRY JOURNAL |

University of Sheffield’s new energy research centre Funding for a new £21 million Translational Energy Research Centre at the University of Sheffield will support the UK’s transition to a low-carbon economy, delivering the cleaner growth at the heart of government’s industrial strategy.

Announced by the Energy and Clean Growth Minister, Chris Skidmore MP, the new centre will develop next generation carbon capture technologies that are affordable and sustainable. The centre’s state-of-the-art facilities will support the long term competitiveness of the UK in carbon capture, utilisation and storage (CCUS) as well as facilitating research and development into areas such as renewable energy, bioenergy and ‘smart grid’ technologies.

The Translational Energy Research Centre will form part of the University of Sheffield’s newly launched Energy Institute, home to more than 300 academics. Researchers in the Energy Institute work with industry partners to find solutions to the biggest challenges facing the energy industry. Its research is interdisciplinary with innovation and collaboration at its heart. This enables researchers in the institute to provide sustainable solutions and advice for governments and the energy industry.

The UK government has recognised that the move to cleaner growth, through low carbon technologies and the efficient use of resources, is one of the largest industrial opportunities of our time. Energy intensive industries secure 1.5 million jobs and export £320 billion of goods and services a year. The move to low carbon industry is a huge opportunity – with the chance for the UK to take the lead and seize a large share of a growing global market.

Funded by £7 million from BEIS and £10 million from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), the Translational Energy Research Centre at the University of Sheffield will give global companies and new technology start-ups access to advanced testing facilities and the opportunity to collaborate with leading academics in lowcarbon energy research. Through industrial and academic partnerships, companies will use the research centre to test, optimise and demonstrate their technologies at a commercial-scale.

The Translational Energy Research Centre will expand on the success of the University’s Pilot Advanced-Scale Capture Technology National Facilities (PACT) centre which opened in 2012. PACT is an open access, national centre of excellence for experimental research on CCUS. Since its launch, PACT has supported more than 70 industrial collaborations with both local organisations and large multinationals, but with increasing demand from industry and academia for more capacity, flexibility and collaboration space, a new facility to meet these needs is required.

The University’s new Translational Energy Research Centre will increase the number of test days available to organisations and broaden the scope of testing available.

This will accelerate and widen the range of new products and services that companies can bring to market.

The new centre will join the University of Sheffield Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC), Factory 2050 and the Faculty of Engineering’s research centres, located at the heart of the Advanced Manufacturing Innovation District (AMID), the nucleus of the Sheffield City Region’s emerging Global Innovation Corridor.

The area has recently seen significant inward investment from global companies such as Boeing, Rolls-Royce and McLaren, boosting productivity, jobs and partnerships in the region. The addition of the Translational Energy Research Centre to this area further strengthens the University’s position as a leader in cutting-edge, industrial scale research.

Organisations looking to work with the University’s Translational Energy Research Centre can collaborate with experts from across the full spectrum of energy research, from development to deployment.

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| news |

| CHEMICAL INDUSTRY JOURNAL |

CYANIDE-FREE GOLD GOES INTO PRODUCTION Australia is leading the charge towards greener and safer gold production with an environmentally-superior alternative gold recovery process technology, dispensing with toxic cyanide and mercury currently used in most gold production processes worldwide.

a relatively cost-effective, non-toxic and safe alternative to conventional cyanide-based gold recovery process.

On the back of successful industry trials and the first gold pour last year, Australia’s national science agency, CSIRO, will transfer its ‘Going for Gold’ process technology to Australian company, Clean Mining Limited.

Clean Mining Managing Director, Jeff McCulloch, says the technology is suitable for new greenfields mines, locations where cyanide cannot be used or is banned, as well as in existing mines looking to upgrade and transition to the new technology.

CSIRO Research Program Leader, Dr Chris Vernon, believes the technology not only overcomes a significant environmental hazard, it also opens the door for Australian and international gold miners and end users to capitalise on demand for sustainable processes and products.

“This technology provides gold miners with an opportunity to proactively evolve their environmental, social and governance (ESG) standards,” Mr McCullloch said.

“Cyanide is used in about 75 per cent of global gold production, and while the industry works to manage the associated risks, there have been recent toxic spills overseas that have caused great concern to communities,” Dr Vernon said.

“The technology is scalable and cost effective, and the process has been tested and proven at an industrialscale to deliver commercially viable results.”

“Developing an alternative process, which eliminates hazardous chemicals while maximising gold recovery, meets industry and consumer demands for more sustainably-produced gold.”

The CSIRO-developed ‘Going for Gold’ process replaces cyanide with a reagent, known as thiosulphate, creating

Clean Mining will deliver the new technology solution to a global market of gold producers, offering technology products and licences as well as turn-key processing plant options, plus equipment and product support throughout the mine life.

“This new technology literally delivers a new gold standard for the global gold industry.

Clean Mining are currently in negotiations with ICA Mining Services Pty Ltd in the Northern Territory of Australia to commission the first commercial plant to process gold using this technology, and with Nu-Fortune Gold to commission a plant in the Goldfields of Western Australia.

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| CHEMICAL INDUSTRY JOURNAL |

INDUSTRY WELCOMES BRAND NEW EXPO FOR UK CHEMICAL INDUSTRIES The ‘inaugural’ CHEMUK (2019) 2-day UK Chemical Industries Supply Chain Expo & Open Conference, hosted recently at the Yorkshire Event Centre (YEC) Harrogate, on 1st & 2nd May, 2019, attracted an enthusiastic industry-wide response, with 2133 visitors plus specialist exhibitor and speaker groups, amounting to circa 2,500 participants.

Event founder, Ian Stone, MD of organisers’ UK Industry Events comments, “We’ve been delighted with the incredibly enthusiastic reception to the CHEMUK event, validating the concept of bringing the industrial chemicals, and related chemical user & formulation industries together ‘annually’, with the further addition of key sectorsupporting groups, to create a unique industry setting with a very special dynamic”

COMPREHENSIVE SECTOR SUPPLY CHAIN EXPO Bringing together attendee groups from all segments of the industrial chemicals, formulated products, as well as from biochemical & process industries, CHEMUK 2019 provided visitor groups with a diverse showcase of 170+ specialist exhibitors showcasing latest plant, equipment, supply chain materials & services supporting the chemicals industries, driving operational performance, efficiency, futureproofing, safety, compliance, supply-chain fulfilment and more. Key exhibitor streams included: Chemicals, Ingredients, Raw Materials Plant, Process, Flow & Control Health, Safety, Environment, Regulatory

Logistics, Storage, Handling & Fulfilment Laboratory, Research & Development Operations & Business Performance Skills, Training, HR & Recruitment …and more Packed 2-day free to attend speaker programme Parallel CHEMUK ‘free to attend’ 2-day speaker programme presented 70+ expert speakers discussing the big challenges and opportunities affecting the UK’s chemical industries, and providing invaluable sector intelligence, best practice and innovation ‘takeaways’, guiding crucial next steps for attendee groups. Centre stage were critical themes such as process innovation, improvement & intensification, sustainability & responsible care, digitisation & new technology, plant & supply chain management, process safety & regulatory landscape, global trade and Brexit uncertainty, sector skills ... and much more.

Sector-specific’ focus included Cosmetics, Personal Care Products, HI&I Cleaning & Biocidal Products, Adhesives & Sealants, Polymers & Resins, Lubricants, Pharma & Healthcare, Paints, Inks & Coatings and more, as well as ’breaking markets’.

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LEADING GLOBAL SUPPLIERS, SECTOR LEADERS, GOVERNMENT BODIES & EXPERT INDUSTRY CONTRIBUTORS….

The two continually running ‘open’ stages allowed visitors an exciting opportunity to listen to topical contributions from key industry bodies including Chemical Industries Association (CIA), Chemical Business Association (CBA), UKLA, BCMPA, BioVale, PRA, TSA, IPA, SHAPA, BASA, BPMA, BADGP, OCCA, CCUK and IfM. Government body contributors included a feature DIT session highlighting sector growth opportunities, plus plenary keynotes from both BEIS and Defra addressing UK chemical sector

industrial strategy and the crucial topic of ‘EU Exit’. Just some of the major global business names contributing to the programme included Siemens, BASF plc, AstraZeneca, AkzoNobel, Brenntag, Accenture .. and more.

Reflecting the event’s strong ‘sector skills’ coverage, the 2019 event saw Royal Society of Chemistry hosting its 2-day RSC Skills & Careers Clinic, providing visitors with access to products and services to enhance their professional development or receive a personal consultation with an RSC Careers Management Specialist.

One of the best exhibitions we’re exhibited at in the UK over the last 5 years – Tosh Singh, MD, Lutz UK Ltd I have attended exhibitions and trade fairs etc for over 50 years and I found Chem UK 2019 one of the most relevant, interesting, informative and well organised that I have visited. – Edward Jennings, Business Development and Sales, C E Bennett and Sons Limited A standout UK chemical event in particular for the quantity, quality and variety of the speaker program which resulted in an informative and inspiring two days. – Paul Spencer, Product Development Manager, Gurit UK Well done ChemUK. Your event was a useful mixture of supplier initiatives and legislation updates. I thoroughly recommend your event. – Andy Thomas, Managing Director, Coating Technologies Ltd

2020 show doubles in size To cope with extremely high demand for floor space, and to support an expanding open conference programme, CHEMUK 2020 moves to the ‘EventCity’ venue in TraffordCity, Manchester where it doubles its footprint with some 250+ exhibitors to feature. Ian Stone continues “…take up on floor space for 2020 has been very rapid indeed and with the expanded floor plan already 80% full, we expect to sell out 2020 in a matter of months …”

DATES FOR YOUR DIARY CHEMUK 2020, 13-14 May 2020, ‘EventCity’, TraffordCity, Manchester, UK. Website: www.chemicalukexpo.com Organisers: UK Industry Events Ltd – Tel: 0203 829-6060

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Stepping Up To The Chemical Digitalisation Challenge Ian Elsby, Siemens Digital Industries Head of Chemical Industry, explores new Siemens’ research into the challenges and opportunities facing the chemicals sector with the advent of Industry 4.0 The competitive environment for chemical manufacturing is fierce.

As a result, in recent decades the sector has invested heavily in automation and process optimisation to keep up with competitor economies that are either rapidly developing, such as in China, or are highly efficient, such as in the USA. Bulk chemicals, and some speciality product processes, are also being squeezed between high energy consumption and rising energy costs.

In response Siemens Digital Industries recently conducted research among over 30 industry commentators and frontline chemical manufacturers.

The resulting white paper - Chemical Industry 4.0, a formula for investment - underlines the urgent need for the sector to digitally transform to maintain and grow a competitive position in local and global markets.

And while our research demonstrated that chemical manufacturers understand that there is a clear need to upgrade to Industry 4.0 in order to remain competitive, operationalising 4.0 is rather more challenging and complex.

There is also the issue of how to implement Industry 4.0 in a commercially sustainable way, with investments focused on digital transformation that truly deliver measurable financial and competitive benefits over time.

Maximisation of digital data was seen by most interviewees as holding the greatest commercial potential for the sector, offering the key to developing a more customer-service oriented culture that can drive customer retention and business growth.

Service (ease of doing business, transparency of order/ supply process through digital linkage, speed of customer response, etc) is also increasingly regarded as a main differentiator – both in the heavy chemicals and the speciality segments.

Further, our research revealed that customers’ experience of digital service in other aspects of their business and personal life is having a growing influence on their supply chain expectations and, as a result, the less agile and less responsive business culture of yesteryear is likely to wane.

In the past, product innovation and ‘discovery’ was often seen as the key to success but now service is increasingly regarded as an equally important point of differentiation.

Siemens distilled the research findings into five sequential building blocks for the digitalisation of chemical manufacturing.

The first of these is the digitalisation of the physical environment, so that equipment, plant and logistics can be controlled and automated through a single, smart dashboard.

And while many such feeds already exist in the chemical industry, interviewees agreed a robust audit is needed to identify any gaps. Further, with regards to cybersecurity, companies need to evaluate the risks, as a cloud-based ‘big data’ chain is only as strong as its weakest link.

The second stage is based around standardising data protocols so that digital data feeds can be easily combined, analysed and deployed via a common standards data pool.

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| CHEMICAL INDUSTRY JOURNAL |

| industry 4.0 |

Legacy systems – including even the more recent automation initiatives from the last two decades - operate via a range of protocols, standards and formats, some open and some proprietary.

This was seen by many as a key business driver going forward, especially as clients begin to demand more evidence of legal, ethical and environmental credentials and compliance from its supply chain.

Therefore, once the physical environment has been digitalised as described in phase one, formats and protocols need to be standardised to allow for effective analytics.

The customer factor also informs the fifth stage, which looks at how a disappointing digital experience will serve to undermine customer relationships, not build them.

The third is focused on investing in applications and processes enabled by the new, standardised data pool, as outlined above.

To that end chemical businesses need to ensure they get the first four stages in place and working well before attempting to integrate the new systems with the customer’s own processes.

What was interesting here was a commonly held view among interviewees that to secure the investment step-up to 4.0, applications which could generate ‘reliable ROI’ were the ones which got the most support internally.

THERE IS ALSO THE ISSUE OF HOW TO IMPLEMENT INDUSTRY 4.0 IN A COMMERCIALLY SUSTAINABLE WAY, WITH INVESTMENTS FOCUSED ON DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION THAT TRULY DELIVER MEASURABLE FINANCIAL AND COMPETITIVE BENEFITS OVER TIME.

Interventions which could help mitigate the financial impact of universal manufacturing issues - such as predictive maintenance which can help reduce downtime, predictive quality that can help with batch consistency, and plant monitoring which can reduce ‘fixed’ costs such as energy, throughput and logistics – were the benefits which got the most buy-in at board level.

The fourth is around how companies are looking outside of their own business and considering their supply chain. This we describe as the ‘flow data exchange’ where information generated by the digitalisation process is shared upstream and downstream to drive efficiencies.

Interestingly, this particular benefit was not viewed as being primarily financial, but more as an enabler for improved competitive positioning through enhanced customer service and creating a more responsive structure to meet client demands.

Another advantage of having the entire supply chain plugged in to the data flow is that of improvements to ‘track and trace’ capabilities, generating both commercial benefits and meeting regulatory requirements.

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Here is also where digital accountability – both internal and with the customer, coupled with predictive analytics would be used to set clearer KPIs and drive competitiveness.

Such performance-based contracts were also seen as a natural development of a more service-oriented culture in an industry where customer satisfaction is becoming as important to commercial success as new product discovery.

Of course, one of the key considerations to this exciting and dynamic Industry 4.0 vision for the chemical industry is the issue of cybersecurity, and the fact that IIoT comes with risks as well as rewards.

Siemens is acutely aware of this, and through the development of our own cloud-based operating system called Mindsphere (which has military grade encryption), and our global Charter of Trust initiative which we have developed with our own suppliers and our global industry partners, we are leading the world on this issue.

We also cover cybersecurity from a chemical manufacturing perspective, and our five building blocks towards digitalisation, in much more detail in our White Paper.

For a copy visit www.tinyurl.com/siemenschemicals

| industry 4.0 |

| CHEMICAL INDUSTRY JOURNAL |

An Unintended Consequence of Industry 4.0 Karl Jones of OAMPS Hazardous Industries looks at some of the Cyber security risks arising from the interconnectivity of networked ICS/SCADA management systems.

Industrial Control Systems incorporating Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (ICS/SCADA) as a management system were originally designed to be isolated from external systems and were therefore not created with cyber security in mind. However, pressure to get things done faster, better and cheaper has led to ICS/SCADA systems being increasingly connected to the enterprise systems that manage performance and resource planning, which allow remote access over the internet for third-party suppliers and support functions, but also creating further vulnerabilities.

A recent example of this vulnerability was an attack at an industrial plant using Schneider Electric Triconex firmware, where operator workstations and the devices in their safety systems were compromised, whilst a Remote Access Trojan (RAT) was installed.

The attackers made changes to safety settings and operating limits and causing systematic failures, including the disabling of the plant safety systems. However, whilst moving through the systems, they triggered the emergency shutdown procedures. The subsequent investigation into the shutdown led to the discovery of the breach.

Even though this particular attack failed, given the sophistication of the attack, it’s almost certain that the attackers will not have given up. They will have assessed what went wrong, fixed the problem and found another target; developing their skills still further. The reality is that there is an ever-growing list of attacks on industrial control systems (ICS)/SCADA systems, and that should concern anyone running operational technology systems within their organisation.

In this case, the motives are not known - it could have been to extort money from the plant owners, or to cause disruption and unrest for socio-political reasons if the attack was state-sponsored.

The consequences of disabling safety systems can be catastrophic; the Buncefield explosion at an oil storage

terminal in December 2005 was caused by the failure of two safety systems (and there’s no evidence that the failure of TWO safety systems was anything other than an extraordinary coincidence). The resulting explosion caused damage estimated at over £890m*, and disrupted organisations in the surrounding premises for many months.

The attacks on ICS/SCADA systems thus far have been on a variety of products from a number of suppliers and it would be naive to assume that just because other products have yet to be officially compromised, they will not be in the future. Although software and control system infrastructures are highly complex, the probability of vulnerability is higher than many people think.

Many attackers also have very advanced capability; UK government has found that organised crime gangs are only four or five years behind the ability of the advanced nation state cyber operations!

WHAT CAN YOU DO? Given these growing threats, plant operators need to identify just what kind of risks they face, and then work out the most cost-effective way to manage those risks. There isn’t an easy answer because the technologies, processes and various chemicals and compounds in use vary so widely from one plant to another.

Organisations also need to recognise that there are increasing legislative changes coming into effect around the world that require them to actively manage the cyber risks to their ICS/SCADA assets.

One example is the updating of the Control of Major Accident Hazards (COMAH) regulations to now include the requirements for duty holders to include management of cyber security risks. These changes follow the new guidance contained in the updated IEC615111 and the Network and Information Systems Directive.

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| industry 4.0 |

| CHEMICAL INDUSTRY JOURNAL |

There is a range of guidance available to support businesses (published by the UK National Cyber Security Centre), which outlines good practice in an eight-point guide: establish ongoing governance manage the business risk

select and use industrial firewalls to defend against changes to settings engage specialists in security reviews of ICS/SCADA systems run additional awareness and training sessions for the operators and process engineers

manage industrial control systems lifecycle improve awareness and skills select and implement security improvements manage vulnerabilities manage third-party risks establish response capabilities Compliance does not necessarily equal security; there is a real danger of creating a false sense of security from simply conducting a tick-box exercise without an informed assessment of the threats, risks and impacts that apply to each organisation and to each location owned and operated by it.

That assessment needs to use a proven approach to conducting ICS/SCADA health checks, which will provide an informed analysis of the threats, and should be carried out by experts that have a background of working on ICS/ SCADA systems so that they understand the issues, and know the right questions to ask to identify the risks that are unique to each operation.

The exposures here will not just be about the technology; they extend to the people and processes relating to ICS/ SCADA. Risks and vulnerabilities can be found as much (if not more) in these factors as in the technology, and the appropriate security controls will need to be focussed on a combination of all the factors.

It is also vital to review the high-level security architecture and identify any changes that need to be made in the way the overall network is designed and built. Some simple changes can provide a significant reduction in risk. These include: use specialist protective monitoring tools and techniques to understand process data flows and monitor suspicious activity

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ensure that senior management are aware of the risks and the capability of attackers so that they have an accurate understanding and can re-evaluate their risk appetite and the resources required to manage risk effectively A final factor is the increasing availability of Internet of Things (IoT) devices; their use in plants brings a range of security risks that have not yet been properly evaluated.

Many of these devices do not have any real security capability, and they are often very easy to compromise, so you should evaluate the threats as well as the advantages that their integration can bring and source advice from experts who know how to build ICS/SCADA/IoT infrastructures that manage risks in a way that’s aligned to your risk appetite, your business operations and can demonstrate value for money.

Ultimately, the risks are not going to go away. The need to defend control systems from attackers will be ongoing and needs to be, and remain, at the top of the business agenda.

The opinions and views expressed in the above articles are those of the author only and are for guidance purposes only. The authors disclaim any liability for reliance upon those opinions and would encourage readers to rely upon more than one source before making a decision based on the information *The final report of the Major Incident Investigation Board, 11th December 2005

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Registered Office: The Walbrook Building, 25 Walbrook, London EC4N SAW. Registered in England and Wales. Company Number: 5172311.

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£22m battery and thermal energy facilities Two research centres for sustainable electrical and thermal energy technologies totalling £22m have launched at WMG, University of Warwick on the 10th June 2019. The funding from government via the Energy Research Accelerator (ERA) sees UK Government, industry and higher education work together to shape the future of the UK’s energy landscape.

The Energy Research Accelerator (ERA) is a £60m project funded by Innovate UK. ERA is working with UK government, industry and the higher education sector to undertake innovative research, develop the next generation of energy leaders, and demonstrate low carbon technologies that help shape the future of the UK’s energy landscape.

ERA consists of eight internationally renowned Midlands universities – which includes the University of Warwick, who are part of the Midlands Innovation partnership, together with the British Geological Survey.

Together they will explore the challenges of energy and electrification, with some of the thought leaders and innovators who are making changes in these areas. There will also be an opportunity to tour the new research facilities.

WMG’s Energy Innovation Centre is a world-class facility for battery research from materials and electrochemistry to application integration and recycling/reuse. The £20m ERA investment has enabled new equipment and facilities, which include laboratories, a dry room for cell assembly, characterisation at cell, module and pack levels, innovative charging infrastructure and second-life evaluation facilities.

It will drive the development, and scale-up of new battery chemistries from concept through to proven traction batteries.

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The School of Engineering’s Sustainable Thermal Energy Technologies group develops low carbon heating and cooling technologies. The £2m ERA funding has enabled the extension of the Thermal Properties Lab into five newly-refurbished test cells to accommodate additional equipment for analysing thermal properties of materials and the Thermal Technologies Lab has benefitted from new test equipment and control/data logging facilities.

Professor Pam Thomas, Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Research at the University of Warwick, comments: “The University of Warwick continues to produce innovative research in battery development and thermal energy, the funding means we can help research ways to tackle global challenges in areas such as energy and sustainability to help climate change for the UK’s and the world’s future.”

Professor Martin Freer, Director of the Energy Research Accelerator, comments: “Over the coming years we are going to see a step change in the motor industry from the combustion engine to battery powered vehicles. With this investment from ERA and Innovate UK, the Midlands will continue to take the lead in the research, development and commercialisation of new battery technologies.

“Our investment in the thermal labs here at Warwick is also significant, as the new facilities will enable researchers to work together with other ERA universities to develop innovative and efficient low carbon heating and cooling technologies.”

Andy Street, Mayor of the West Midlands comments: “This world-leading research facility will further cement the West Midlands’ position at the cutting edge of innovation in technology and sustainability.

“The region is already at the forefront of the development of electric vehicle efficiency, and now the ERA’s funding will enable us to make better use of electrification to reduce emissions and improve transport, making a real difference to the lives of people living and working in the West Midlands.”

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| CHEMICAL INDUSTRY JOURNAL |

Sustainable steam cuts CO2 emissions Nouryon and other firms based at Chemical Park Delfzijl in the Netherlands will save up to 100,000 tons of CO2 emissions per year through the increased use of sustainable steam. The company will use the additional supply to make its salt production at the Delfzijl site more sustainable.

“Over the past 10 years, we have significantly reduced the use of natural gas at our Delfzijl operations by using more steam from waste and biomass,” said Knut Schwalenberg, Managing Director Industrial Chemicals at Nouryon. “Including this latest steam supply, we emit 300,000 tons less CO2 per year than in 2013 – that is equivalent to the CO2 emissions of around 35,000 households.”

The sustainable steam will be produced by utility firm EEW Energy from Waste, which has been supplying steam from waste combustion to the chemical park since 2010. The latest increase follows the commissioning of a third waste combustion line and the construction of a new pipeline by Groningen Seaports. The chemical park also receives bio-steam from the nearby Eneco biomass plant.

Horst Bieber, Technical Director at EEW Delfzijl, said: “With the completion of our third combustion line, we will treat 576,000 tons of waste per year and are able to deliver more than 1 million megawatt hours of process steam, which allows us to further increase our supply of green steam to Nouryon.”

Cas König, CEO of Groningen Seaports, added: “Expanding our infrastructure makes the Delfzijl port and industrial area more attractive for both existing and new activities, and supports the sustainable development of regional industries.”

Nouryon has also increased the use of bio-steam at its Hengelo site in the Netherlands. It also initiated a unique green energy purchasing consortium, enabling the construction of two Dutch wind farm projects – Bouwdokken and Krammer. Currently, almost half of the Nouryon’s worldwide energy usage is from renewable sources.

“Including this latest steam supply, we emit 300,000 tons less CO2 per year than in 2013 – that is equivalent to the CO2 emissions of around 35,000 households.”

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| CHEMICAL INDUSTRY JOURNAL |

Image © Fiat Research Centre

Powerful new laser to boost car manufacturing With the ability to cut and shape ultra-high-strength boron steel up to one thousand times faster than existing technology, a new precision pulse laser looks set to boost the car industry with a 10% reduction in waste products, a 5% reduction in chassis costs, and a two-third decrease in manufacturing time.

European scientists are developing a new ‘pulsed’ laser system, similar to the 2018 Nobel Prize in Physics winner, to cut and shape ultra-high-strength industrial materials that are notoriously difficult to process at unimaginable speeds, while producing considerably less waste.

Operating at 1.5 kilometres per second, the new laser will be powerful enough to cut the hardest boron steel used in car construction at one cubic centimetre per minute - over a thousand times faster than existing technology that currently ablates steel at one cubic millimetre per minute.

Exerting an average power of 2.5kW, or 100kW in a single pulse, and with repetition rates up to 1GHz (or 1 billion cycles per second – a thousand times more than the current 1MHz upper limit), the laser will have the control and refinement to etch moulds for vehicle parts at micron-scale accuracy as well as micro-weld dissimilar metals for solar thermal absorbers.

Commonly used in laser eye surgery, pulsed lasers send out short blasts of energy, or ‘pulses’, in tiny fractions of a second. The pulses in this new laser are so fast that their duration is measured in femtoseconds – a femtosecond compared to a second is in the same ratio as one second to 32 million years.

Aiming to improve car manufacturing speed and efficiency, while reducing the potential production costs and environmental impact, the new pulse laser system has received a €5 million development grant from the European Commission.

BORON STEEL CUTTER Boron steel, which is used in car bodies because of its super strength, is so durable that it is often difficult to cut or shape. The processes used to ensure its durability usually remove many of the steel’s fundamental properties, such as the workability.

Although boron steel can be cut with a plasma arc torch, (a tool that cuts using high pressure, accelerated jet of hot plasma ), this can instantly heat the metal to over 650ºC (1,200ºF) and is not as precise or as quick as a pulse laser.

Going by the acronym ‘PULSE’, the consortium behind the powerful new laser draws on expertise from eleven research institutions and industry partners from six different European countries and is coordinated by Tampere University in Finland.

Project coordinator, Dr Regina Gumenyuk said: “While ultrashort-pulse laser (USPL) technology has been around for decades, breakthroughs have meant it has become something of a buzzword, being awarded the latest Nobel Prize for physics, and increasingly being deployed in industrial production.”

“Laser technology exists today that can cut boron steel, but it is far too slow for any large scale production”.

“By harnessing the unique characteristics of patent protected tapered double-clad fibre amplifiers powerscaled multichannel laser, the PULSE project will create unparalleled high-power beam qualities, M2<1.1, and pulse energies 2.5-250µJ.”

POSITIVE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT The new system looks to have a positive environmental impact by being so efficient that waste products will be reduced.

“PULSE is committed to improving manufacturing, but also reducing the impact on the environment, therefore we can confirm that a 10% reduction in waste products is certainly achievable,” Dr Gumenyuk said.

The laser system will enable an improved digital design to lighten vehicle chassis weight with benefits to fuel economy and increase the range of electric vehicles.

The consortium expects a prototype to be ready by 2021.

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| CHEMICAL INDUSTRY JOURNAL |

Process safety leadership in focus In this issue of the Chemical Industry Journal, we speak to Andy Stanley, Managing Director and founding partner of RAS, a specialist risk management firm with particular expertise in high hazard industries.

Today, the RAS team works with over 70 Control of Major Accident Hazards (COMAH) sites, from large refineries right down to single product storage depots. The vast majority of their clients, however, operate upper tier COMAH sites.

Their skilled team has worked on some of the biggest and most influential projects in the industry, including assisting in the aftermath of the Buncefield explosion.

PROUDLY INDEPENDENT As an independent firm, the team responds quickly to clients’ requirements, unencumbered as they are by the corporate structures and consultancy models typical of larger companies. “Working shoulder to shoulder with our clients, we identify the unique challenges of their business and provide solutions that meet their specific needs, rather than assuming one approach fits all,” explains Andy.

Andy graduated in nuclear physics, going on to work for the atomic energy authority as part of the Sizewell public enquiry team. His career developed in the area of fire modelling and progression, so in the aftermath of the Piper Alpha disaster, Andy got involved in the offshore oil and gas industry and Safety Case development.

Founding RAS in 1993, now over a quarter of a century later, Andy and the skilled team of 20 consultants with backgrounds in chemistry, physics, engineering, mathematics, geography etc, work with clients around the globe.

Leading companies in the oil and gas, pharmaceuticals and specialist chemical sectors utilise the RAS team’s expertise pertaining to the successful identification, assessment and management of safety, business and environmental risks.

In this edition, Andy explains why process safety leadership should be at the top of our agenda, but first, we’ll take a step back to understand the context that has led up to the COMAH Competent Authority (CA) making leadership one of their strategic topics for 2019.

COMAH AND BEYOND The COMAH regulations of 1999 and updated in 2015, stipulate that every operator takes all necessary measures to prevent major accidents and limit the consequences to people and the environment.

These regulations, reinforced by major incidents like the 2005 Buncefield explosion, recognise that the damage wrought by such incidents is not limited to businesses but can impact detrimentally on surrounding communities too.

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In mitigating the risk to people and the environment, there was a growing understanding that the management of major accident hazards needs to be a part of an organisation’s day to day safety processes, rather than an occasional or reactive activity. A completely separate policy is needed which recognises that managing major accidents is different to managing occupational health and safety.

PUTTING LEADERSHIP CENTRE STAGE “In the aftermath of the Buncefield explosion, it was found that a lack of leadership contributed to what became Europe’s largest peacetime fire. For the first time, a process safety leadership group was established, with representatives from high hazard industries, regulators and unions, with the remit to agree, amongst other things, the principles of process safety leadership. Principles which changed the industry’s understanding of leaders’ responsibilities.”

Here the role of leaders began to take centre stage both in setting the tone for process safety within an organisation and for allowing the management of major accident hazards the time, attention and resources required. In short, leaders have a critical role to play in effective process safety.

PROCESS SAFETY LEADERSHIP PRINCIPLES “The eight principles established that leadership is at the core of process safety and managing major accident hazards and that this necessitates senior leadership involvement and competence. Constant active engagement with the workforce is also required for improvements to be made and for effective process safety to be both established and maintained.”

“Senior leader visibility and promotion of process safety are essential for establishing a process safety conscious culture, as is engaging the whole workforce in achieving good process safety management.”

“Monitoring process safety performance is central to effective management as is transparency, with process safety performance data published to boost public confidence. Publication encourages companies to hold themselves to account and ensures they don’t become complacent or lose focus.”

“Sharing best practice across all sectors, together with ensuring lessons are learned and implemented from relevant incidents, is imperative. Sharing allows businesses to learn from both good and poor performance. In this respect, the major hazards industry can learn a great deal from the airline industry, where knowledge is quickly disseminated across the globe.”

“Suffice to say, these principles do not work in isolation, all of them need to be adopted to first establish and then maintain effective process safety. Ultimately, leaders not only need to show their understanding of these principles but they have to be able to demonstrate them in action too.”

| CHEMICAL INDUSTRY JOURNAL |

| big interview |

“Leadership is at the core of process safety and managing major accident hazards.

Effective leadership necessitates senior management involvement and competence.”

Andy Stanley

LEADERSHIP AT THE HEART “The Health and Safety Executive, the Environment Agency and industry bodies have been instrumental in improving process safety and helping businesses to understand what they need to do to demonstrate and maintain COMAH compliance.

“More than a decade on from these eight principles being developed, the COMAH CA is working to ensure leadership remains at the core of process safety, publishing a new delivery guide and intervention tool with leadership interventions planned as part of their strategic topic.”

“We support the CA’s strategic objective that the major hazards industry takes a closer look at process safety leadership. With this in mind, we’ve produced a short video, on leadership within process safety in conjunction with the Chemical Industries Association (CIA) and ITN productions, illustrating the importance of process safety leadership and collaboration on high hazard sites.”

“The video, which is part of the CIA’s Solutions For Our Future Programme includes contributions from the

University of Hull and the Tank Storage Association, with whom we’ve been working on best practice. Over the last few months, we’ve presented papers and shown the video at conferences including IChemE Hazards 29, to galvanise interest in the topic of process safety leadership.”

STARK REMINDERS “The Buncefield incident is a stark reminder of what can happen when leaders are not at the core of process safety.

43 people were injured, there was widespread devastation and disruption, and the cost to the environment has been calculated to be in excess of 1billion euros.”

“A single incident can take a company to its knees, just as the Gulf of Mexico oil spill had a hugely detrimental impact on BP. Businesses can’t afford to get it wrong.

Strong process safety performance is imperative for protecting people and the environment, and it also makes good business sense!” www.ras.ltd.uk

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| news |

| CHEMICAL INDUSTRY JOURNAL |

That’s “sew” smart!

Scientists invent threads to detect gases when woven into clothing. Equipment- and training-free textile detectors could be used in public health, workplace safety, military and rescue applications Tufts University engineers have developed a novel fabrication method to create dyed threads that change color when they detect a variety of gases. The researchers demonstrated that the threads can be read visually, or even more precisely by use of a smartphone camera, to detect changes of color due to analytes as low as 50 parts per million. Woven into clothing, smart, gas-detecting threads could provide a reusable, washable, and affordable safety asset in medical, workplace, military and rescue environments, they say. The study, published today in the journal Scientific Reports, describes the fabrication method and its ability to extend to a wide range of dyes and detection of complex gas mixtures.

While not replacing the precision of electronic devices commonly used to detect volatile gases, incorporation of gas detection into textiles enables an equipmentfree readout, without the need for specialized training, the researchers say. Such an approach could make the technology accessible to a general workforce, or to low resource communities that can benefit from the information the textiles provide The study used a manganese-based dye, MnTPP, methyl red, and bromothymol blue to prove the concept. MnTPP and bromothymol blue can detect ammonia while methyl red can detect hydrogen chloride - gases commonly released from cleaning supplies, fertilizer and chemical and materials production. A three-step process “traps” the dye in the thread. The thread is first dipped in the dye, then treated with acetic acid, which makes the surface coarser and swells the fiber, possibly allowing more binding interactions between the dye and tread. Finally, the thread is treated with polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), which creates a flexible, physical seal around the thread and dye, which also repels water and prevents dye from leaching during washing.

Importantly, the PDMS is also gas permeable, allowing the analytes to reach the optical dyes.

“The dyes we used work in different ways, so we can detect gases with different chemistries,” said Sameer Sonkusale,

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professor of electrical and computer engineering at Tufts University’s School of Engineering who heads the Nano Lab at Tufts and is corresponding author of the study.

Sonkusale’s team used simple dyes that detect gases with acid or base properties. “But since we are using a method that effectively traps the dye to the thread, rather than relying so much on binding chemistry, we have more flexibility to use dyes with a wide range of functional chemistries to detect different types of gases,” he said.

The tested dyes changed color in a way that is dependent and proportional to the concentration of the gas as measured using spectroscopic methods. In between the precision of a spectrometer and the human eye is the possibility of using smart phones to read out and quantify the color changes or interpret color signatures using multiple threads and dyes. “That would allow us to scale up the detection to measure many analytes at once, or to distinguish analytes with unique colorimetric signatures,” said Sonkusale.

The fabric even worked under water, detecting the existence of dissolved ammonia. “While the PDMS sealant is hydrophobic and keeps water off the thread, the dissolved gases can still reach the dye to be quantified.” said Rachel Owyeung, lead author and graduate student in the Tufts Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering. “As dissolved gas sensors, we imagine smart fabrics detecting carbon dioxide or other volatile organic compounds during oil and gas exploration as one possible application.”

Since repeated washing or use underwater does not dilute the dye, the fabric can be relied upon for consistent quantifiable detection many times over, the researchers said.

This work was supported by a grant from the National Science Foundation Institutional Graduate and Research Traineeship (DGE-1144591) for R.O. Also contributing to this study is Matthew Panzer, associate professor of chemical and biological engineering at Tufts.

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Upcycling process brings new life to old jeans A growing population, rising standards of living and quickly changing fashions send mountains of clothing waste to the world’s landfills each year. Although processes for textile recycling exist, they tend to be inefficient and expensive. Now, researchers have reported in ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering an efficient, low-cost method that can convert waste denim into viscose-type fibers that are either white or the original color of the garment.

Cotton-based clothing, such as denim, makes up a large proportion of textile waste. Meanwhile, farming cotton consumes land and resources. Efficiently converting waste denim into reusable cotton fibers could help address both of these problems. Previously, researchers have used ionic liquids –– salts that are liquid, not solid –– to dissolve cotton textiles into their cellulose building blocks. The cellulose was then spun into new viscosetype fibers that could be woven into textiles. However, ionic liquids are expensive and difficult to work with because of their high viscosity. Nolene Byrne and colleagues wanted to find a way to reduce the amount of ionic liquid solvent required to recycle denim into regenerated cellulose fibers.

3-methylimidazolium acetate and dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO). Using a high concentration of DMSO as a cosolvent allowed the researchers to use much less ionic liquid than other methods. In addition, DMSO reduced the viscosity of the ionic liquid solution, making it easier to spin the cellulose into new fibers. Because DMSO is much cheaper than the ionic liquid, the new process reduced the cost of solvent by 77%. When they pre-treated the textile powders with a sodium hydroxide solution, the researchers could produce white viscoselike fibers. Without this step, the fibers retained the color of the original item, which conserves water and energy that would otherwise be required for textile dyeing.

The researchers ground three textile samples (blue denim fabric, red denim pants and a mixed-color T-shirt) into powders. Then, they dissolved the powders in a 1:4 mixture of the ionic liquid 1-butyl-

The authors acknowledge funding from the Australian Research Council Research Hub for Future Fibres.

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nobel prize winner talks to us Dr Frances Arnold, the American chemist and engineer, who won the 2018 Nobel Prize in Chemistry and the 2016 Millennium Technology Prize for her work in pioneering directed evolution reveals more about her work.

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Dr Frances Arnold, the American chemist and engineer, won the 2018 Nobel Prize in Chemistry and the 2016 Millennium Technology Prize for her work in pioneering directed evolution. She is only the fifth female Nobel chemistry laureate since the prize was first awarded in 1901, and the only ever American woman to win in the subject, and the only woman to win the Millennium Technology Prize. She is the Linus Pauling Professor of Chemical Engineering, Bioengineering and Biochemistry at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech).

Directed evolution mimics natural evolution to create new and better proteins in the laboratory. This technology uses the power of biology and evolution to solve many important problems, often replacing less efficient and sometimes harmful technologies. Thanks to directed evolution, sustainable development and clean technology have become available in many areas of industry, meaning they no longer have to rely on non-renewable raw materials.

In 1993, Arnold conducted the first directed evolution of enzymes, which are proteins that catalyse chemical reactions. Dr Arnold’s innovations have revolutionised the slow and costly process of protein modification, and today her methods are being used in hundreds of laboratories and companies around the world. Modified proteins are used to replace processes that are expensive or that utilise fossil raw materials in the production of fuels, paper products, pharmaceuticals, textiles and agricultural chemicals.

Dr Arnold was the third innovator who has first been awarded the Millennium Technology Prize and then the Nobel Prize. To mark nominations opening for the 2020 Millennium Technology Prize, Dr Arnold answers questions ranging from the future of directed evolution, her concerns over the current US administration’s lack of respect for science, and whether women are breaking the glass ceiling in the worlds of science and technology.

What is the simple concept that you’d like regular nonscientists to understand about the work that you’re doing?

The simple concept is that if we can write the code of life we can do all the chemistry and make all the products that living systems do in a clean, sustainable, green way. In other words, nature is the best chemist on the planet, so why not use nature to do our chemistry for us?

You were right there at the beginning of the biotech revolution – has it progressed in the way you thought it would and what would you say has been the most impressive achievement to date?

The most impressive achievement is our ability to manipulate DNA, the code of life. This ability has grown enormously. We now have the tools to read, write and edit DNA. What we don’t know how to do is compose it, and that’s where evolution comes in. We still have to learn how to compose useful new programs for biological systems, but evolution can do it for us.

Like a lot innovators, you faced scepticism when you were first developing your technology. You said that there was a difference of opinion between science and engineering viewpoints. What do you think was the reason for that?

Well, it was a clash of cultures. The scientists wanted to understand everything before they built new enzymes. The

Dr Frances Arnold with the 2016 Millennium Technology Prize engineers said, “Hell, let’s just move forward and use the methods that work.” And that’s evolution. After 30 years we’re still far from the understanding, although we’ve made some steps. In the meantime, directed evolution has made many useful enzymes.

There have been some incredible developments in terms of more natural products being made in a more sustainable way thanks to your pioneering research. What is your dream for this in the future?

My dream is that we will replace inefficient and toxic wasteproducing chemistry with microbes, with biocatalysts that are clean, efficient and can use renewable resources to make chemicals and fuels. I think there’s no doubt it is possible, but it will take time, money, and political commitment – the last part is still missing.

One of your most fascinating developments is an enzyme that’s allowed you to convert plant sugars into the precursor to jet fuels. Is that scalable and does it mean that we’ll eventually have for example, 100% renewable aircraft fuel?

There are a number of companies selling renewable aircraft fuel. The problem is it’s very hard to compete with companies pumping oil out of the ground. Many renewable fuels ventures need more money to invest in building plants to scale up operations. Again, a commitment in terms of more ambitious renewable fuel targets by the international community, and government investment, could help give this a real push.

Directed evolution has led to the development of many medicines without the use of toxic metals in the production process, such as Januvia to treat diabetes, for example. Do you think we’ll see this happening more in the pharmaceutical industry?

Certainly. Almost all the major pharmaceutical companies are now using enzymes to make drugs. Not all of their drugs, but they’re all looking closely at this technology because it can replace toxic metals and other expensive and

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problematic materials used in the manufacturing processes.

I think the big advance is that the chemical community – and that includes many chemical and pharma companies – now understands that you can evolve enzymes to perform chemistry that only humans thought they could do. Biology can make molecules even better than humans do.

You probably remember the story in December last year about a scientist in China who was gene editing embryos.

Do you think we’re at a stage where that will become acceptable, or is it still too controversial?

I think, looking at history and the way these things unfold, it will become less and less controversial as the benefits are realised. In the future, people may look back and be surprised to see the opposition that exists today. The problem with this particular case is that there were very limited, if any, benefits derived from the gene editing and lots of possible downsides. So what happened in China was completely wrong. But, remember that people were nervous about in vitro fertilization, IVF, for example, and now it is used all over the world and has given children to millions of families. Lots of technologies that were once controversial have since become mainstream because the benefits are big. The issue is we have to understand these technologies better to know their downsides, and then introduce them when we are certain the benefits far outweigh the risks.

Are you concerned about a lack of respect for science by the current US administration?

NATURE IS THE BEST CHEMIST ON THE PLANET, SO WHY NOT USE NATURE TO DO OUR CHEMISTRY FOR US?

are challenges to having a family and competing at the highest levels that women often feel more acutely.

Do you feel that being one of the few women to win prizes like the Nobel and Millennium Technology Prize has increased your awareness of being a role model for women innovators? And what advice would you give to young female scientists starting out now?

I’m terrified at the lack of science fact-based discussion on many important issues that touch all of us. If you don’t have a rational basis for a discussion, and that rational basis is science, how can you move forward? I’m very distressed at the current administration’s lack of support for science, and how support has become politicised. There are many people in the government who are as distressed as I am.

Well, I’m not keen on the idea of role models per se because I think people have to find their own path, but I do like looking out and seeing a sea of faces of people who love science, with lots of women in it. My advice is be inspired by others, but follow your own path. And don’t leave this fun work just for the men.

Where else do you see the biggest threat to science? Is it from anti-science forces on the religious side or from a lack of serous public debate, for example?

You are only the fifth female Nobel chemistry laureate, the first American woman to win the prize, and the only woman to win the Millennium Technology Prize. Do you think we’ll see a steady stream of women winning prizes like the Nobel and Millennium Technology Prizes now?

I think it’s just from ignorance of how important science is to all of us. For all of these huge issues that we and our children are going to face, a big fraction of the solutions will have to come from better science and technology. Without science you don’t have technology and without technology you don’t have advances. And you won’t have solutions to feeding, housing, clothing, and caring for the health of ten billion people.

What do you think of the benefits of science prizes and what practical benefits have they given to you?

When I won the Millennium Prize there was a wonderful outpouring of interest in my field, of people becoming more aware of sustainable chemistry, of young people of course contacting me and reading more about this field. So I think it was a real boost and shot in the arm for a field that few people know about.

Are there still barriers facing women in science and technology? Do we still have a long way to go yet before we reach ideal “gender parity” in these fields?

I believe that women still face external barriers. However, other barriers are more self-imposed: lack of confidence or desire to work in such a competitive environment, and perhaps a lack of appreciation of how much science and technology contributes to society. Science is not for everyone; it takes a lot of time and devotion to become good at it, and the same is true for engineering.

You have to love it. Most talented women have many opportunities, and whether they choose to pursue science or engineering depends on how they feel about their whole life experience, perhaps more so than men.

Opportunities for women today are excellent, but there

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I do, because there are more and more women doing science and they’re doing it really well. I was a very rare female engineer when I started out in the 70s. When I applied to Princeton in 1973, I think I was only the second woman who signed up for a degree in mechanical and aerospace engineering. But now there are many wonderful senior women in the sciences and engineering, and they’re doing great work. They are also sitting on prize selection committees!

What do you think are the big challenges science still has to solve?

How do you feed, clothe, water and house ten billion people without destroying the planet? That takes chemistry.

Electrons won’t feed people and they don’t house people. We need chemicals, materials, fuels, and food. How do we make those things without destroying the environment and the natural things that we find beautiful? How do we share the planet with wild animals, fish, birds, forests and other living things and still have a good quality of life? Those are the challenges we still need to find answers to.

The Millennium Technology Prize is awarded every two years for ground-breaking technological innovations that benefit millions of people around the world, highlighting the extensive impact of science and innovation on the well-being of society. The Prize is one million euros and is awarded by Technology Academy Finland, an independent foundation.

Nominations for the 2020 Millennium Technology Prize opened on 1 April 2019 and are accepted until 31 July 2019.

More information is at millenniumprize.fi

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Low carbon energy: a catalyst for sustainable growth Ashley Phillips

Managing Director, Ørsted Sales UK Ltd

The UK has become the first major economy to enshrine net zero carbon targets in law. This decisive environmental action comes after a report from the Committee on Climate Change recommended that the UK should legislate to end its contribution to global warming within 30 years. It’s a decision that will benefit our communities and our planet.

However, new environmental policies can bring extra challenges for businesses, who are often already handling complex processes and regulation.

Energy intensive sectors are also under pressure to control costs and protect profit margins. Reliant on some of the nation’s most energy intensive processes, the chemicals industry is the UK’s largest user of industrial energy. While energy use varies significantly across the sector, it can account for up to 50% of manufacturing costs1.Alongside the fact that the chemical industry represents almost one quarter of all UK greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions2, it’s easy to see why energy management has moved to the top of the agenda within this sector.

BUILDING A SUSTAINABLE ENERGY STRATEGY Energy efficiency has been a focus for the chemicals industry for some time: since 1990, the sector has improved efficiency by 35%, and reduced GHG emissions by 70%3.

The industry has also made a crucial contribution to the advancement of renewable technologies, enabling the manufacture of larger wind turbine blades and more efficient solar panels.

While progress has been remarkable, the worldwide demand for chemicals could rise by 50% by 20304 - there is much still to do to ensure that carbon reduction continues, to empower businesses that still consider energy to be a static overhead cost, and to ensure that our chemicals industry thrives under the pressure of net-zero legislation.

Now is the time to revisit energy strategies and reap the long-term benefits of sustainability.

Expert advice: You know your energy needs better than anyone. However, your energy supplier should work with you as a partner, to solve problems and explore options.

Many Ørsted clients are benefitting from our Energy Advisory service, which provides access to a wide range of services and technologies, to build a bespoke energy solution for each individual business. Driving energy efficiency, decarbonisation and energy cost reduction is the aim, so that businesses can achieve their sustainability goals. Your supplier should also help you manage energy costs and mitigate price risks. During our green energy transition, energy remains a volatile commodity. At Ørsted, we provide comprehensive trading services, where our expert team of traders can help build risk management strategies based on a business’ individual needs, risk tolerance and internal policies.

Renewable electricity: Choosing 100% renewable electricity is an easy first step towards carbon reduction. Ideally, your supplier should guarantee power that is fully traceable back to the generating asset, which in turn means that you can report lower or zero carbon emissions in greenhouse gas reporting. As a longer-term option, we also offer Corporate Power Purchase Agreements (Corporate PPAs). A Corporate

PPA helps businesses secure long-term fixed prices, protecting them from price risk for the entire duration of their contract. Contracts can begin at four years, but businesses often choose a 10-year contract, to benefit from protection for longer.

Green gas: As with many manufacturers, a reliance on gas for energy is a characteristic of the chemical industry.

While the ideal long-term solution would be electrification of more processes, right now this simply isn’t a practical solution for many. Decarbonising gas supply is possible, with biogas as the cleanest option and carbon neutral products also available. Carbon neutral usually means that the carbon associated with a business’ gas consumption is offset through investment in carbon reduction projects such as reforestation, renewable energy and waste-water initiatives.

Smarter energy management: Looking beyond low carbon energy choices, manufacturers have much to gain by getting ‘clued up’ about the latest tools for smarter energy management. Coupled with an increased availability of data, smart tools allow businesses to understand where and how energy is being used across their plants, making efficiency easier.

A more flexible approach to consumption can help avoid peak prices and unlock new revenue streams. With the energy landscape changing so fast, specialist advice is invaluable here. The right expertise can help businesses that have older sites and less flexible assets to find new options and fit together all the pieces of the puzzle.

At Ørsted, we believe in taking an approach that is smart, sustainable and for the duration. We understand that each business has a unique set of needs, and develop products and solutions adapted to those needs. As the world’s most sustainable energy company5, we’ll continue to help more businesses make those better energy choices, to build a resilient, green future for us all.

Find out more about our energy solutions at orstedbusiness.co.uk/en 1. Chlor-alkali sub-sector energy costs are up to 50% of manufacturing costs: https://www.carbontrust.com/resources/guides/sector-based-advice/chemicals/ 2. BEIS Chemical Sector report Oct 2017: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/ government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/651230/chemicalsdecarbonisation-action-plan.pdf 3. As above 4. Chemical Industries Association (CIA) report: https://www.cia.org.uk/ Portals/0/Documents/Publications/Low%20carbon%20brochure_2015_ MR.PDF?ver=2017-01-09-143808-563 5. http://www.corporateknights.com/reports/global-100/

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UKRI Future Leaders Fellowship award Innovative new catalyst materials can create more sustainable processes in chemical industry that reduce greenhouse gas emissions by harnessing sunlight and Carbon Dioxide (CO2) as fuel.

Sunlight exposure can boost the efficiency and ability of metal nanoparticle catalyst materials to make or break chemical bonds £1.46M UKRI Future Leaders Fellowship award to University of Warwick researcher will support the computational exploration of new chemical mechanisms and catalyst materials for sunlight-fuelled chemistry The intricate interplay of sunlight, molecules, and metal catalyst materials that can break down greenhouse gases such as CO2 will be explored in the Department of Chemistry at the University of Warwick, by Dr Reinhard J. Maurer using computer simulations thanks to award of £1.46M by the Government’s UKRI Future Leaders Fellowship programme.

Dr Reinhard J. Maurer will explore how chemical catalyst materials, particularly metal nanoparticles, become more reactive when exposed to light, enabling them to transform some of the most stable molecules, such as CO2 and other greenhouse gases.

Dr Reinhard J. Maurer, from the Department of Chemistry at the University of Warwick comments: “The UKRI Future Leaders Fellowship programme will allow me to bring experts with different backgrounds into my research group to develop unique simulation capabilities, to develop rational catalyst design strategies, and to guide experimental and industrial collaborators to the realisation of this technology.“ “Tackling climate change on a global scale, while maintaining and raising living standards across the globe is the true challenge of our time. 95% of all manufactured products rely on industrial chemistry, which is responsible for a significant proportion of greenhouse gas emissions and energy consumption. Innovative new catalyst materials and processes, such as hot-electron catalysis, play an important role in transforming chemical industries towards more sustainable production.”

Dr. Maurer is one of only 42 UKRI Future Leaders Fellows across the UK announced in the first round of the £900m UKRI Future Leaders Fellowship initiative. UK Research and Innovation Chief Executive, Professor Sir Mark Walport, comments:

By exposing metal nanoparticles to light, so-called “hot electrons” are formed at the particle surfaces, which can boost the metals ability to make or break chemical bonds in molecules – this process is called hotelectron catalysis or plasmonic catalysis.

If sufficiently understood and controlled, hot-electron catalysis can provide a route for industrial catalysis to replace raw materials based on crude oil and conventional energy sources that aren’t eco-friendly with CO2, oxygen, and nitrogen from the atmosphere and renewable energy from the sunlight.

The new fellowship awarded to Dr Maurer by the UKRI Future Leaders Fellowship programme will allow him to develop a theory and simulation methodology to predict how light exposure can modify and boost catalytic reactions in metal nanoparticles. By combining efficient quantum theoretical simulation methods with machine-learning techniques, Dr. Maurer will be able to predict chemical reaction rates by varying important catalyst design parameters such as particle shape and composition.

Together with an international network of researchers, Dr. Maurer will use this simulation data to design viable hotelectron-based catalyst materials for real-world application of the technology.

“The Future Leaders Fellowships offer long-term support for the most talented researchers and innovators.

Fellows will be encouraged to be adventurous in tackling tough and important research questions and opportunities for innovation.

“The Fellowships offer opportunities to move across disciplinary boundaries and between academia and industry. These Fellowships will enable us to grow the strong supply of talented individuals needed to ensure that UK research and innovation continues to be world leading.”

Professor Pam Thomas, Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Research at the University of Warwick, comments: “Dr. Maurers research brings together aspects of photophysics, catalysis, computational simulation, and artificial intelligence applications in science, working across disciplinary boundaries with experimental colleagues in 4 different countries. It complements major initiatives at Warwick (GRP Energy, GRP Materials) “The award of the UKRI FLF for Dr.Maurer showcases that Warwick is a powerhouse for computational materials science, as also recently shown by the award of HetSys CDT, where Maurer is a member of the core supervision team.”

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Take control of your regulatory compliance with Yordas Hive Developed to meet growing demand for accurate, up-to date regulatory data on chemicals globally, Yordas Hive works with your data to bring you exactly the information that you need to stay compliant, and helps save valuable time.

The wealth of accurate regulatory information, actively maintained by the experts at Yordas Group, works seamlessly with your own information to provide a powerful compliance solution.

The software offers a range of packages to meet all business requirements, whether you are looking for a smart software reference tool or compliance management solution, Yordas Hive can work for you and your business.

MANAGING COMPLIANCE EFFICIENTLY WITH YORDAS HIVE Leading UK retailer, WHSmith utilised Yordas Hive to manage the complex process of regulating the chemicals in their products. With a large product portfolio and prominent market presence, it is important that our client understands the requirements and implications of the ever changing legal compliance landscape.

A crucial aspect of maintaining and achieving compliance is current knowledge of changes to legislation. Yordas Hive provided WHS with the ability to upload product information directly into the software, allowing them to

fully integrate their chemical composition and formulation data with the regulatory information held within the comprehensive database. The structured and live solution enables them to see a full list of substances within their products, providing a complete chemicals management system.

AUTOMATED REGULATORY STATUS CHECKS SAVE TIME WHS created tailored email alerts for each user in their team, giving them the ability to monitor the status of their products and formulations, as well as being notified when changes are made to regulations globally, enabling them to take immediate action, whether it be substitution, reformulation or relabelling.

The software’s ability to manage complex products provides a particularly useful feature for WHS, who often deal with various types of multi-packs containing the same ingredients. Yordas Hive Prime Edition allows the customer to immediately assign the impact of a regulatory change to all relevant products on the shelf.

Martin Annis, WHS, discusses the benefits of Yordas Hive: “Yordas Hive gives us the confidence that in an ever changing legal chemical landscape we are kept informed of all the changes which specifically affect our products.

This allows us to communicate any required changes to our suppliers quickly rather than spending time looking for changes in legislation and manually checking product specific BOM/BOS and SDS’s.”

“Yordas Hive gives us the confidence that in an ever changing legal chemical landscape we are kept informed of all the changes which specifically affect our products. This allows us to communicate any required changes to our suppliers quickly rather than spending time looking for changes in legislation and manually checking product specific BOM/BOS and SDS’s.”

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YORDAS HIVE HELPS IDENTIFY SUBSTANCE RELEVANCE FOR LEADING HOME IMPROVEMENT COMPANY Yordas Group, creators of Yordas Hive, assisted Kingfisher plc in developing a chemical strategy allowing them to anticipate future regulatory action and meet sustainability commitments in complex, international supply chains.

To meet this sustainable growth plan goal, Kingfisher authored a Chemicals Action List (CAL) within which a list of chemicals of concern were identified. This has been used to create product specifications where restrictions apply within its Group QA function and are applied to products managed within its Group purchasing teams that source products for its trading brands.

a suspected or known hazard concern. A new Chemicals of Concern (COC) list was created from the Watch List by screening each substance entry against a set of priority criteria agreed with Kingfisher, using the information in Yordas Hive’s Substance Database.

To assist Kingfisher in implementing its chemicals strategy, Yordas Group created a new CAL to ensure the list of chemicals was complete and up-to-date. In order to develop the knowledge base relating to Kingfisher’s chemicals of concern, each substance in the CAL was then mapped against the following parameters:

This early warning system allows Kingfisher to develop a regulatory roadmap and anticipate future regulatory action with a view to safeguarding their future business, as well as meet its strong commitment to protect human health and the environment beyond the legal requirements of regulatory compliance.

Level of regulation (e.g. if the substance use is either prohibited/restricted, declarable, or proposed) Scope of regulatory requirement (e.g. if the substance is regulated in substances / mixtures, articles or both) Regulated product type (e.g. toys, textiles, all consumer articles) Relevance for Kingfisher products identified via Yordas Hive’s substance use and application information, based on the likelihood of a substance being found in their product inventories

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MAJOR FALLS IN ORDER BOOKS AND SALES – CBA TRENDS SURVEY Both order books and current sales have fallen by 60% in the three months since the last Supply Chain Trends Survey in April 2019.

Sales margins have declined by 40%. The number of companies Peter Newport expecting to create more jobs in the next three months has fallen to its lowest level since these Surveys began six years ago.

CBA’s Chief Executive, Peter Newport said, “Our last survey three months ago showed large scale evidence of stock building as companies ensured they could maintain supplies to customers after the anticipated Brexit date of 31 March 2019.”

“A combination of cash flow constraints and the limited availability of storage capacity has now brought this stock building process to an end. The three-month outlook for order books, sales, and margins is uniformly negative as Brexit uncertainty continues,” he said.

The CBA’s latest on-line Trends Survey was conducted from 4-12 July 2019 and is based on responses from 51 member companies.

ABOUT THE SURVEY CBA’s Supply Chain Trends Survey asks companies to provide information on order books, sales, sales margins, and employment, on a ‘better–worse–same’ basis. To measure short-term trends, the analysis ignores responses answering ‘same’ and focuses on the positive or negative balance provided by the difference between the ‘betterworse’ responses.

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CURRENT ORDER BOOKS – Down by 60% since last survey Members are asked if their order books are better, worse, or the same than during the previous three months. The July survey shows a negative balance of -26% compared to a positive balance of +34% three months ago – a negative survey-to-survey swing of 60%.

SALES VOLUMES – Fall by 61% since April 2019 Respondents compare their current sales volumes with the preceding three months and indicate their expectations for the next three months. Current sales volumes show a negative balance of -17% a marked shift from a positive balance three months ago of +44% - a survey-to-survey negative swing 61%. The three-month outlook reveals a rising negative trend of -14% from -7% three months ago.

SALES MARGINS – Weakened by 40% since the last survey Companies compare their current sales margins with the preceding three months and forecast their trend over the coming three months. Current sales margins have swung into negative territory (-18%) from the positive balance (+22%) reported in the last survey in April 2019 – meaning sales margins have weakened by an overall 40% in the last three months. This decline is forecast to slow but continue this negative trend with CBA members reporting a negative balance of -21% for the next three months.

EMPLOYMENT – Weaker, but just positive Member companies are asked if their employment levels will be higher, lower, or remain the same over the next three months. Whilst the trend for employment in the current survey remains positive, at +2%, this is the lowest level recorded since these surveys began in 2013.

It represents a significant fall from the positive +18% balance reported by respondents in April 2019.

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INEOS to invest $2bn in Saudi Arabia

INEOS signs agreement with Saudi Aramco and Total to build its first ever plants in the Middle East.

The three world-scale plants will produce the key building blocks for carbon fibre, engineering polymers and synthetic lubricants that are pivotal to economic growth in the region.

Saudi Aramco and Total are preparing the construction of a $5 bn petrochemical complex (Project Amiral) which will supply more than $4 bn of downstream derivatives and speciality chemicals units; the three INEOS plants will be part of them.

Jim Ratcliffe Chairman of INEOS said: “The timing is right for us to enter this significant agreement in Saudi Arabia with Saudi Aramco and Total. We are bringing advanced downstream technology which will add value and create further jobs in The Kingdom.”

INEOS has announced it has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Saudi Aramco and Total, France, to build three new plants as part of the Jubail 2 complex in The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

A new state-of-the-art 425,000 tonne acrylonitrile plant, will use INEOS’ world leading technology and catalyst. It will be the first plant of its kind in the Middle East when it starts up 2025.

INEOS will also build a 400,000 tonne LinearAlphaOlefin (LAO) plant and associated world-scale PolyAlphaOlefin (PAO). These units will be the most energy efficient in the world when they begin production in 2025.

The location in The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia will give INEOS access to competitive raw materials and energy, with well invested infrastructure, to better serve customers directly in the Middle East and markets across Asia.

Jim Ratcliffe Chairman of INEOS said: “This is a major milestone for INEOS that marks our first investment in the Middle East. The timing is right for us to enter

this significant agreement in Saudi Arabia with Saudi Aramco and Total. We are bringing advanced downstream technology which will add value and create further jobs in The Kingdom.”

The project represents a continuation of INEOS’ growth strategy following the announcement of €3bn investment into a new plant at Antwerp, £1bn investment across the UK, acquisitions in China and capacity increases in the US Gulf Coast, Alabama and Chocolate Bayou facilities.

Paul Overment CEO INEOS Nitriles said: “Global demand for acrylonitrile continues to grow ahead of GDP, to meet the demand for lighter, stronger, energy efficient materials such as ABS, composites and carbon fibre. This first investment in the Middle East consolidates our position as the market leader and shows a clear and ongoing commitment to meet our customers’ needs wherever they are in the world.”

Joe Walton, CEO INEOS Oligomers said: “INEOS Oligomers is one of the world’s leading merchant suppliers of LAO and PAO. The size and location of these new plants reinforces our commitment to keep pace with our LAO and PAO customers’ expanding requirements globally.”

INEOS Nitriles is currently the world’s largest producer of acrylonitrile and acetonitrile with more than 90% of the world’s acrylonitrile using INEOS technology. It currently has four manufacturing plants, two in North America (Texas & Ohio) and two in Europe (Germany & UK). Terminals throughout the world facilitate our sales to customers in all regions globally. The INEOS Nitriles plant in Green Lake Texas is the largest and most efficient facility in the world.

INEOS Oligomers already has a worldwide network of LAO and PAO production plants and bulk storage locations. The business produces a comprehensive range of speciality and intermediate chemicals derived from ethylene and isobutene.

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| nepic |

| CHEMICAL INDUSTRY JOURNAL |

Broadening Perspectives & Promoting Best Practice It is no secret that sharing best practices is an excellent way to advance the performance and productivity of a company. Sharing best practices can help companies fill knowledge gaps, improve efficiency, encourage leadership â&#x20AC;&#x201C; and, when successfully implemented, deliver significant competitive advantage and increase market share.

Successful implementation of best practice happens when there is a strategic commitment, senior management and workforce engagement, effective communication, and appropriate skills amongst employees.

practice will be associated with fast response to market demand, environmental or political change, the application of new technologies, managing extended supply chains and data analytics.

Companies with best practice generally perform better than others. If this can be said of individual companies, it can apply to whole regions and clusters too.

The adoption of best practice is more established in foreign owned and multinational businesses with UK sites. The North East is home to many global manufacturers offering a greater chance of learning, adoption and opportunity for the regionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s SMEs.

In addition to improved productivity and competitiveness, the adoption of best practice offers many benefits from instigating a learning environment and identifying knowledge gaps, through boosting creativity and innovation, to saving time and cutting costs.

One of the greatest attributes of our Cluster is the collaborative approach it has embraced for sharing best practice to improve regional competitiveness and secure the future of chemical processing in the North East.

Over the past six months we have seen many great examples of best practice collaboration within the Cluster.

The 4th Industrial Revolution represents an extraordinary growth and productivity opportunity for manufacturing in general, however, by its very nature brings with it increased risk.

Companies, often in competition with one another, are working together to share learning that will support the growth of their neighbouring businesses. This is a tribute to the established and trusted community that exists amongst companies in the North East.

To address the challenges, and understand the latest best practice techniques of the regionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s global players at the fore of digitalisation and cyber security, we brought industry representatives together to explore the pros and cons of the connected world we live in. Furthermore, this event provided a platform for our members to explore the regulation and demonstrate local supply chain solutions.

Current best practices will evolve. Lean production is the norm in global manufacturing, as are total quality management, six sigma and ISO accreditations. Future best

In May 2019 we turned our focus to planning and managing turnarounds, capital and revenue projects in the complex and demanding process plant environment.

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| nepic |

If turnarounds are not properly planned, managed and controlled, companies run the risk of safety issues, serious budget overruns, costly schedule delays and negative impacts on customers.

During this new event for 2019, we explored project and turnaround best practice, demonstrated how to develop a strategy that mitigates the risks, investigated the management process and highlighted local capabilities and solutions.

May also saw us lead a best practice site visit with the NEPIC “Manufacturer of the Year” FUJIFILM Diosynth Biotechnologies.

Guests representing Arcinova, Piramal, MSD, Sterling Pharma Solutions and GSK toured the world class microbial biologics manufacturing facility in Billingham before hearing about some of the engineering and regulatory challenges they have encountered and overcome.

GSK also delivered a presentation on a predictive HVAC commission system that had been inspired by their collaboration with the F1 company McLaren – proving that best practice sharing extends into other key sectors present in our region.

Further best practice visits will be held in the near future to harness the spirit of cooperation that exists between our manufacturing members.

2019 will also see the return of the highly successful Best Practice in Industrial Asset Management conference.

With a host of new speakers and topics showcasing cross-sector best practice, this event seeks to forward

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improvements in productivity, reliability and safety.

We will also demonstrate the transferable lessons from across the manufacturing spectrum, that Production and Engineering Managers can apply to their own operations, as well as showcasing the broad range of asset management capabilities that are available within the region.

The NEPIC team take a strategic approach to increasing the coordination and spread of best practice across the processing sector in the North East of England. Through the formation of Special Interest Groups, we facilitate communities within the network to come together to advance critical areas.

The Best Practice and Innovation team provide focus for our work, ensuring we understand the challenges so that we can identify the opportunities and develop strategy and solutions that benefit the sector, region and business.

We face challenging but exciting times that offer the opportunity for us to draw on this region’s greatest strengths – its community spirit and passion for business and growth.

For more information about upcoming best practice events and special interest groups, visit www.nepic.co.uk or contact a member of the team.

| advertorial |

| CHEMICAL INDUSTRY JOURNAL |

What is the value of the environment?

Climate protests, the war on plastic, pollution tax. Media has shown us that concern for the environment is rapidly increasing, and it’s not just ecology and the economy that bear the brunt of environmental damage; there are links between the environment and human health, both physical and psychological, too. Justifiably, the environment is a hot topic, and it goes without saying that we should be doing our best to protect it, but how can we make sure our arrangements for managing major accident hazards are up to the challenge?

The very purpose of assessing risk is so we can understand how we should manage it. The ALARP principle requires operators to implement control measures that will reduce risk to a level that is ‘As Low As Reasonably Practicable’. In the context of health and safety risk, this is relatively easy; there are prescribed methods for risk assessment and the value of a life is a defined figure. Thanks to this, quantifying whether a suggested measure for improvement is justified via cost-benefit analysis provides a clear and reasoned argument for why it should (or shouldn’t) be implemented.

While industry is making great steps towards a consistent approach to environmental risk assessment, the ‘so what’ part of the risk management process is yet to catch up.

When applying the ALARP principles, the ‘practicable’ part is often straight forward – some measures cannot be physically achieved in a particular context, or are obviously disproportionate. The ‘reasonable’ part is a different story. Unlike safety risk, where justified spend calculations provide a clear-cut method for assessing further measures, environmental risk encompasses such wide ranging and variable parameters that it is somewhat overwhelming to think of all the aspects that must be taken into consideration.

There are a huge number of variables associated with the cost of a major accident to the environment. The magnitude of the incident and the types of environmental features affected make a huge impact on the scale, and therefore the cost, of recovery. On top of this there are economic consequences, via loss of revenue and fines (which are uncapped if the responsible party is prosecuted under criminal law). Not to mention the extensive possibilities for consequences depending on the context, such as loss

of tourism and recreational areas, disruption to other industries and loss of natural resources like timber and fresh water. It is clearly very difficult to come up with a value that can be used in justified spend calculations.

Not only does this uncertainty fail to help us estimate our costs, but it also prevents us from defining a maximum cost for any one event to use as a conservative baseline. No two past incidents can truly be compared as environs differ and the nature of fines means that factors such as organisation size, history of compliance and willingness to take recovery action all create a unique outcome. In fact, two identical events at the same location can result in vastly different consequences depending on the time of year.

The result of all this is that the approach to justified spend calculations vary significantly across industry, creating a great deal of inconsistency. A one-size fits all method simply won’t work for a concept with so many variables, but on the other hand, we can’t apply a blanket requirement to accept all measures either. With increasing pressure on industry to prove that the environment is at the forefront of decision making, we need to find a compromise that allows us to properly justify where we see a suggested measure as unreasonable.

We don’t have a definitive solution, but it is something we have been encouraging our peers in industry to help us to explore. Perhaps it is time to consider if cost-benefit analysis really should be the determinative factor in ALARP demonstrations, or maybe we can tailor an approach that uses broad categories and defined modifiers that provide enough consistency to compare the relative costs of measures. There can be no one-size fits-all, but we can all agree that consistency is the key to demonstrating the commitment of our industry to the environment.

Rob Ritchie, Aimee Russell and Jennifer Hill enquiries@ras.ltd.uk

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RAS RISK & HAZARD MANAGEMENT

“All men make mistakes, but only wise men learn from their mistakes” – Winston Churchill

Safety Risk

Business Risk

Environment Risk

Environmental Risk Our services in the Environmental Risk area range from the assessment of the risks related to the environment in relation to Major hazards, based on our Source, Pathway, Receptor Risk Assessment model, through to preparation of Environmental Permits (PPC in Scotland) – full applications or variations of existing permits – particularly in relation to planning for new developments.

We also provide consequence and predictive modelling, including PHAST, ADMS, and proprietary client models.

Rather than ‘off the shelf’ solutions for our clients, we pride ourselves on our understanding of the regulatory framework and how it applies to particular industries and circumstances. We strongly believe in tailoring solutions to meet each client’s particular challenges and issues.

+44 (0) 1244 674 612 • enquiries@ras.ltd.uk • www.ras.ltd.uk

| solvent industry association |

| CHEMICAL INDUSTRY JOURNAL |

SIA Re-issues Safe Handling of Solvents Safety Film The Solvents Industry Association in collaboration with the European Solvents Industry Group (ESIG) has updated and re-issued their award-winning Safe Handling of Solvents safety film, replacing the one first released in 2006.

In line with the original version, this latest issue highlights fundamental safety guidance for those handling solvents and other flammable liquids and was the first of five safety films to have been produced jointly by the organisations.

SIA General Secretary, Andrew Norman said, ‘The Safe Handling of Solvents film is core to our training course

offering and it was recognised that there were a number of aspects in the original 2006 film which were not to current standards. Members of the SIA Technical Committee and European Solvents Industry Group worked together to produce what we feel reflects the requirements of modern legislation and at the same time offers a useful training tool and guidance to those working with flammable liquids.’

Shot at SIA Member sites in Essex, UK, and in Antwerp, Belgium, the film highlights the areas requiring upmost attention when handling solvents such as vehicle loading, the filling of drums and IBCs, site safety, and awareness of the hazards of static electricity and other sources of ignition.

USB copies are available upon request from the SIA, or feel free to contact Andrew Norman, SIA General Secretary for more information www.solvents.org.uk/contact-us

SIA Appoints Kevin Morgan as Chairman The Solvents Industry Association has appointed Kevin Morgan, left, Commercial Director at Brenntag UK as their new Chairman, taking over from Mark Brunt who completed his tenure in March.

Kevin will sit as Chair of the SIA Board for a 2-year term and is excited about the role. He said, ‘I am delighted to take up the role of Chairman of the Solvents Industry Association. I am dedicated to ensuring that our members obtain real value from their membership by continuing to ensure that we promote the safe, sustainable and responsible use of solvents, just as we have from the very beginning.’

The SIA would like to thank Mark Brunt for his tireless dedication through a very successful period as Chairman of the Association and look forward to the next phase of development under Kevin Morgan’s leadership.

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| CHEMICAL INDUSTRY JOURNAL |

| solvent industry association |

PH Europe Joins the SIA The Solvents Industry Association is delighted to announce the addition of the Huddersfieldbased company, PH Europe to their growing list of Associate Members.

With operations and facilities in the UK, Germany, Holland, Bulgaria and Singapore, PH Europe is a specialist supplier of stainless steel IBCs and logistics services for the handling of flammable and non-flammable liquids.

James Astley, Sales and Marketing Director at PH Europe said, ‘PH Europe is delighted to join the SIA and look forward to working with the Technical Committee to promote Best Practice in the storage, handling and distribution of hazardous goods. Our partnership with the SIA and its members will add value to the information and services we provide to our customers.’

SIA General Secretary, Andrew Norman said, ‘Having PH Europe within our membership will greatly assist us in meeting our ambitions of continuously raising awareness of the hazards and improving safety practices when handling solvents and flammable liquids. We are looking forward to working closely with James and the PH Europe team.’

For further information, visit the PH Europe website www.pheurope.com

SIA Releases Updated Guidance on Denatured Alcohols Following recent changes to EU Regulation relating to the standardisation of denaturant formulations for Completely Denatured Alcohol (CDA) across Member States, members of the Solvents Industry Association’s Technical Committee have undertaken a review of their existing Guidance on Denatured Alcohols.

The revised Guidance Note 53 – Denatured Alcohols, incorporates these changes and provides details of the approved CDA denaturant formulations for each EU Member State.

The document also contains useful information on the UK Industrial Denatured Alcohol (IDA) and Trade Specific Denatured Alcohols (TSDAs).

The document is free to download via the link; www.solvents.org.uk/sia-guidance-notes

Interested in becoming a member of the SIA? www.solvents.org.uk/contact-us

SIA General Secretary Andrew Norman presents the cheque to Chance to Shine Chief Executive, Laura Cordingley at the Oval Cricket Ground

SIA Raises £1,015 for Chance to Shine Charity The Solvents Industry Association Spring Dinner, held at Lord’s Cricket Ground in London on 21st March raised £1,015 for the cricket-related charity, Chance to Shine.

Chance to Shine is a national charity that aims to give all children the opportunity to play, learn and develop through cricket, which can help to develop the personal, social and physical skills of the 500,000 children that work with the charity every year.

Laura Cordingley, Chief Executive at Chance to Shine said, ‘We’re very grateful for the support of the Solvents Industry Association and I hope that everyone involved enjoyed their

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night at the Home of Cricket. The generous donation from the evening will help us to spread the power of cricket in schools and communities, supporting many children across the country to play, learn and develop through the sport.’

SIA General Secretary, Andrew Norman said, ‘The generosity of the SIA Membership again raised a staggering amount on the night through our traditional raffle and we are delighted to be able to assist with this excellent cause.’

For more information on the work of Chance to Shine, visit the website at www.chancetoshine.org

2019 WINNER

Chemical Industry Service Provider of the year Cogent Skills Solutions Business are proud to win the Chemical Industry Service Provider of the year award at the Chemical Industry Awards 2019 Cogent Skills has been at the forefront of Process Safety Management (PSM) training for major hazard industries for over 10 years with a focus on delivering a high quality, culture change Process Safety programme that has made a positive impact in companies in the Chemical sector If you would like to know more about our services you can contact us on 01325 740900 or email

industry@cogentskills.com

Alternativley you can visit our brand new website

www.cogentskills.solutions

Courses

Consultancy

Bespoke

Cogent Skills Solutions Business are raising awareness on the importance of the new HSE Leadership Intervention Tool Whatever the nature of an organisation, leadership is a cross sector issue Lessons from major incidents across a wide range of industries have highlighted leadership failures as key issues Boardroom decisions have a significant impact upon major hazard safety, but this is not always recognised as that impact may not be felt until sometime later In most major incidents, information was available somewhere in the organisation suggesting that safety barriers were not sufficiently robust, but these weak signals were neither recognised nor acted upon by senior leaders and decision makers

Standard Bespoke and etence Our range of C es and omp rs u o C y et af Process S of the target dress many r Hazard Programs ad d in the Majo te h lig h ig h rocess behaviours n Tool. Our P o ti en rv te In “example Leadership gnised as an co re e ar es hin the Safety cours y the HSE wit b e” ic ct ra p ance and of good : The Perform H A M O C g in lead to a ‘Understand ork and can ew m ra F n io spection” Recognit r depth of in o e p o sc in “reduction

Since 2010 we have worked alongside the Process Safety Management Competence Programme Board to develop and deliver training meeting the PSM Training Standards and regulatory requirements

We will be regularly hosting free morning networking events based on the HSE’s new Leadership Intervention with guest speakers from the Health and Safety Executive

The PSM Training Standards that underpin our Process Safety courses are recognised by the Competent Authority as providing a benchmark for Process Safety awareness training across the range of major hazard industries

If you would like to find out more about Cogent Skills Solutions Business, how we can help you improve leadership within your organisation or regarding any of our upcoming network events or training courses, contact the team on

01325 740900 / industry@cogentskills.com www.cogentskills.solutions

| training and education |

| CHEMICAL INDUSTRY JOURNAL |

Why is so much attention being paid to major hazard leadership?

Neil Smith

WHERE ARE THE MAIN AREAS OF CONCERN?

Head of Workforce Development at Cogent Skills Training Ltd

Colleagues in the HSE have highlighted several issues that raise concerns; including

This isn’t a new topic. The Process Safety Leadership Group set out the Principles of Process Safety Leadership addressing this very subject several years ago, and over the last few years the Health and Safety Executive has been encouraging industry to demonstrate how it is improving its performance in competence management and human factors, which really underpin the effective management of major accident hazards.

Chemical and petrochemical manufacturers have been looking at how they improve their business and safety performance and deal with major accident hazards on their sites through investing in process safety leadership for years. However, the Health & Safety Executive has now developed an inspection tool to assess whether boards or senior leaders of duty holders can demonstrate effective leadership arrangements when benchmarked against legislative requirements, including COMAH, and established industry standards for major hazard control.

WHY THE FOCUS IN 2019?

I think it’s important to note that this isn’t just a 2019 initiative. Since we introduced the Process Safety Leadership training standard in 2011 the Process Safety Management Competence Programme has been targeting both COMAH and non-COMAH businesses to encourage them to develop a top-down approach; raising awareness of the principles of process safety leadership, and how everyone can contribute at all levels within a business.

Over that time we’ve seen an increased level of engagement from other major hazard industries, but there are some sectors, particularly those where the major hazard is the potential risk to the environment, that are still some way behind the curve, and recent events have highlighted how the Competent Authority will come down hard on those businesses that are not achieving the necessary performance in preventing pollution incidents.

It’s timely that we are seeing this renewed focus, not only because it seeks to address concerns over the potential for major accident hazards to compromise businesses and the performance of the industry in the UK, but also because there are currently many competing priorities for industry leaders. There are any number of short and long-term pressures on businesses at any one time; but maintaining a healthy and robust approach to managing major accident hazards must stay at the top of the agenda.

Transfer of ownership and acquisitions Ownership of major hazard assets by non-chemical or non-technical companies The loss of specialist knowledge The transfer of business between different asset owners that can lead to issues with or changes to their management systems or processes which could compromise the understanding or control of their major accident hazards.

Many businesses are now owned by global corporations or institutional investors that may not have a background in the chemicals industry, and simply don’t understand those major accident hazards. There’s also been a loss of specialist knowledge over recent years, stemming from pressures to reduce staff numbers, restructuring, sub-contracting, and turnover resulting from redundancies or people retiring from the industry.

WHAT SHOULD LEADERS BE DOING? Against all that background, all senior executives really need to understand exactly how their organisation is managing their major accident hazards and what their role as leaders within the industry needs to be. They need to: Understand their major accident hazards and the risks their businesses face Understand that their system design does not completely mitigate all these risks Understand the impact their decisions make on the control of their major accident hazards Know how to and be confident in challenging what they are being told Beware of the performance indicator watermelons (all green on the outside but masking the red on the inside) Make sure that they are as robust in managing the risks to the environment as they are to people Leaders can gain the knowledge by undertaking recognised training such as the Cogent Process Safety Management training. www.cogentskills.solutions

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| CHEMICAL INDUSTRY JOURNAL |

| talent and acquisition |

Attracting talent to your company... and industry RMG (Recruitment Management Group) is a specialist headhunting consultancy, we find exceptional people for our clients in the Science, Technologies, Engineering & Manufacturing sectors, in particular in Healthcare, Chemicals and in related leading-edge Technology arenas.

RMG is an award-winning business, that has been announced as a Northern Powerhouse partner and celebrates its Silver Anniversary this year.

Our success in recruiting outstanding candidates for our clients is due to our proven and effective search process.

I understand a company has a fundamental choice when recruiting to get the right result. Ask yourself... Do you see recruiting good people as just a necessary COST or an INVESTMENT for the future?

A FEW TIPS TO ATTRACT THE BEST CANDIDATES: Be proactive, don’t sit on your laurels Attracting skilled candidates needs effort; interviews must be two-way Use innovative ideas to attract and retain apprentices and STEM graduates; continually providing development and training to ensure your succession planning and their interest

There are a many ways to choose to recruit and a myriad of differing recruitment suppliers in the market, besides ‘doing it yourself’ by using a master vendor, internal recruitment teams or the internet. Understanding the differing strengths and weaknesses of using certain methods and approaches, I have chosen to work for RMG now for 13 years’ mainly as I know the targeted and tailored search process we undertake for our clients works time after time and I am able to deliver assignments rather than hit a dead end as with some practices used in the market.

Don’t get into a battle of spiralling salaries in the market, think creatively, let your overall package encompass incentives and flexible benefits, relocation contribution, performance related bonuses etc.

We give you dedicated time, necessary to undertake a thorough retained campaign assignment within a contained timescale. It’s ‘HOW’ we go about our work that enables us to find the best people, beyond the readily available, accessible candidates in the market (although these are considered easily within any campaign.) We are able to source high-calibre, unique candidates (often in secure jobs, ‘just keeping an eye’ for their ideal next career move).

Be prepared to compete - sell the attractiveness, benefits and future prospects of your company and industry

”RMG were able to search deeply into different areas that we hadn’t thought of looking.”

A retained process is an added-value service, compared to a ‘contingency’ approach and ‘developing relationships’ is the important key to enable you to find a candidate who gels with your team and culture fit (you can’t know that from a CV) and between a recruiting manager and an individual recruitment adviser!

We tailor each headhunt search to each individual recruitment need. We find, attract, vet and place candidates across all functional disciplines, at mid, senior management and Board level, for roles based across the UK and internationally. We know that attracting skilled talent, especially technical, engineering and leadership skills, into the Chemicals and STEM sector is imperative for the sustainability of our industry sector and for the UK to continue being at the leading edge of technology.

In severe areas of skill-shortages eg; engineering discipline, avoid your good (trained) candidates getting poached to related industrial sectors and blue chips Step off the ‘merry-go-round’ and attract engineers to train from different sectors

Excellent candidates are also busy people with commitments too; simple, basic courtesies and first impressions are important The offer process (and negotiation if needed) is better done by a third party!

LOOKING TO HIRE? Call Anita Caldwell on 01928 711800 or just drop an email to anita.caldwell@rmg-uk.com

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| reach |

| CHEMICAL INDUSTRY JOURNAL |

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| CHEMICAL INDUSTRY JOURNAL |

| reach |

CBA PUBLISHES PLAN TO MAKE UK REACH WORKABLE The Chemical Business Association (CBA) has proposed a solution that will make UK REACH workable by solving the crucial issue of access to testing data. It would also ensure that UK companies have continued frictionless access to the EU market post-Brexit as well as EU companies enjoying a similar level of access to the UK Market.

The Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) is considering CBA’s proposal.

CBA has suggested that European Substance Information Exchange Forums (SIEFs) currently holding the majority of chemical test data supporting EU REACH registrations are allowed to submit a full registration dossier to the Health & Safety Executive (HSE). This would apply equally to lead registrants and SIEFs whether they are based in the EU or the UK. CBA has proposed that this process would be free of charge to the registrant.

“Our proposal solves two problems simultaneously, said Peter Newport, CBA’s Chief Executive. “It means companies

registering substances under UK REACH, almost all of which do not own or have access to testing data, can rely on the same testing data that supports their EU REACH registrations. It also means that the IT system’s data content underpinning both the UK and EU regulatory systems are identical therefore ensuring continued and consistent high standards of chemical safety.”

Under the CBA proposal, SIEF participants in the UK holding valid EU REACH registrations would be able to negotiate an extension to their current ‘Letter of Access’ to cover the UK regime.

New UK REACH registrants would notify the HSE and be directed to the European SIEF to obtain access to the data package in the same way as EU REACH currently operates. If a European SIEF elected to perform new tests or gather further data, they would then update both ECHA (EU REACH) and HSE (UK REACH), so ensuring future consistency.”

Peter Newport, said, “A further benefit of this approach is that the UK should be able to complete the registrations for the substances within the two-year timescale proposed by the Government. This timescale is impractical without adopting a solution of this kind.”

“Our proposal solves two problems simultaneously. It means companies registering substances under UK REACH, almost all of which do not own or have access to testing data, can rely on the same testing data that supports their EU REACH registrations. It also means that the IT system’s data content underpinning both the UK and EU regulatory systems are identical therefore ensuring continued and consistent high standards of chemical safety.”

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| reach |

| CHEMICAL INDUSTRY JOURNAL |

Pre-Registration Phase for all Chemicals in the Turkish Market European Chemicals Agency is screening substances and evaluating REACH dossiers with the aim to increase the quality of the current dossiers and working on further regulatory actions for the future.

Meanwhile, Turkey is preparing for substance registrations.

Turkey is very much dependent on the imports into the country since several formulators and main substance manufacturers as well as article producers are importing chemicals to manufacture new substances and produce formulations, articles. These companies undertake two different roles and accompanying responsibilities according to the Turkish chemical regulations in place.

Strong communication channels must be established in the supply chain to maintain full compliance with chemicals regulations today. It is no surprise that the information requests in the supply chain regarding compliance with Turkish REACH-like Regulation, KKDIK triggered by Turkish importers’ requests have increased gradually and progressively. The KKDIK awareness campaigns running in the country with the help of the stakeholders is also motivating the companies for taking actions for compliance.

According to the KKDIK Regulation, any manufacturer or importer of a substance on its own or in a mixture in quantities of one tonne or more per year shall submit a registration dossier to the Ministry of Environment and Urbanisation (MoEU) through Chemicals Registration System called KKS which is accessible from the website of the MoEU. Companies must first pre-register all substances they are placing or planning to place on the Turkish market today and start reviewing long term business plans of the company for the future. By the end of 2023 which is the deadline for registration, all substances in the Turkish market will be KKDIK registered. Safety Data Sheets (SDS) prepared in Turkish language and signed by a certified SDS expert must also be KKDIK Compliant by the end of this date.

Eventually, after pre-registration process, companies end up in a forum called, ön-MBDF which is simply the pre-Substance Information Exchange Forum (pre-SIEF) formed with the inclusion of the pre-registrants for the same substance with typical tasks such as assessment of substance sameness, initiating the data sharing

communications and reaching agreement on Classification and Labelling of the substance. Till now there is not much difference compared to the EU REACH SIEF structure. A couple of differences that stand out are; “no tonnage band is required during pre-registration process” and “no SIEF Facilitator functionality (SFF) is yet defined in KKS for pre-registrants”. SFF could make life a little easier for the pre-SIEF members especially for the Turkish manufacturers most of which do not have any REACH experience from the past. Companies often find pre-SIEF activities quite difficult and will wait for a member to initiate the communications.

Discussions in the SIEF may lead to tricky situations in Turkey in terms of confidential business information and infringement of Competition Laws considering all global competitors will eventually exist in the same SIEF. Fingers crossed! For some substances the work in the Turkish SIEF, MBDF led by the industry may run smoothly, whereas for other substances there may be failures observed.

Companies with global presence who already represented their substances in SIEFs and Consortia in the EU know about risks and SIEF management. These companies willing to actively get involved in the SIEF activities through their Only Representatives or local subsidiary offices may act fast in some SIEFs, encouraging other members for the registration preparations. Other SIEFs might still be waiting for a formal start from a member. Waiting for an action is a thread as there is only limited time, only 3 years duration for completion and submissions of substance registrations.

Needless to say that the approach of data owners; either the consortia or companies, who may accept or decline to sell the right to refer to the data, already available and acceptable for the use of registrants in Turkey, to parties registering substances is critically important. It may change the whole process for the preparations of the registration dossiers.

RGS celebrates 11 years of Chemicals Regulatory Compliance servicing with several hundreds of clients all over the world. Do not hesitate to contact RGS, if you need compliance with Turkish Chemicals Laws or more details on our services and the status of your substances.

Dr.Yaprak Yüzak Küçükvar REACH Global Services Group Turkey Branch Manager www.reach-gs.eu

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EUROPEAN UNION • TURKEY • JAPAN • CHINA • KOREA • TAIWAN RGS S.A. - Belgium Head Office + 32 (2) 234 77 77

RGS A.Ş. - Turkey Subsidiary + 90 (212) 454 09 93

info@reach-gs.eu

www.reach-gs.eu

| news |

| CHEMICAL INDUSTRY JOURNAL |

Cefic launches Action Plan The European Chemical Industry Council (Cefic) has launched a voluntary multi-annual Action Plan for Review and Improvement of REACH Dossiers.

The Action Plan provides a framework for companies holders of REACH registrations - to evaluate their safety data already submitted under REACH. By using a set of guiding principles laid down in the Action Plan, companies can decide whether their dossiers may need to be updated with additional information in line with the expectations of the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA).

Cefic Director General Marco Mensink said: “The EU chemical industry is committed to making REACH work and this concrete action proves it again. We invite all Cefic members to join this Action Plan.”

The implementation of the Action Plan will be done in close cooperation with ECHA to ensure that any scientific or technical challenge related to dossier updates is resolved.

A Steering Committee made up of the Cefic members and ECHA will be established to guide the implementation of the Action Plan.

Cefic will be monitoring the progress in reviewing REACH dossiers and will publish status reports on an annual basis.

More than 22,000 chemical substances have been registered in the EU over the past 10 years since the entry into force of REACH, making it the most comprehensive database of chemicals, their behaviour and use in the world.

non-complia nt

Chemicals REGULATORY compliance is a global competition strategy, not a formality!

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Tom Welton Royal Society of Chemistry president-elect © Imperial College London

New Royal Society of Chemistry president Professor Tom Welton, Dean of the Faculty of Natural Sciences at Imperial, will be the next president of the Royal Society of Chemistry.

An expert in sustainable solvents, Professor Welton will take up the role when the current Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) president – Professor Dame Carol Robinson – completes her term of office in July 2020.

This follows an election process in which RSC members chose between Professor Welton and Dr David Rees as presidential candidates – marking only the second time in the society’s history that an election has been held for the post.

“I am absolutely chuffed to bits to be elected to be the next president of the Royal Society of Chemistry and I am very grateful to everyone who voted,” said Professor Tom Welton Professor Welton joined Imperial in 1993 and served as Head of the Department of Chemistry from 2007 to 2014, before becoming Dean of the Faculty of Natural Sciences.

His term as Dean ends in December 2019, after which he will continue to be a member of the Imperial community while taking up his new position as RSC president.

His research involves ionic liquids – chemicals that provide hope for replacing solvents that are used to dissolve materials but are often hazardous to health and the environment. As well as studying how they behave, he works on practical applications of future ionic liquid solvents, such as for dissolving textiles to make them more readily recyclable and for dissolving wood to create biofuels.

Under Professor Welton’s leadership as Head of Chemistry at Imperial, the department was awarded an Athena SWAN

Gold Award in recognition of efforts to promote women in science – one of only four awarded in the country at the time.

He has also been appointed to the UKRI Equality, Diversity and Inclusion External Advisory Group and in 2017 was awarded an OBE for services to diversity in education.

Professor Welton said: “I am absolutely chuffed to bits to be elected to be the next president of the Royal Society of Chemistry and I am very grateful to everyone who voted.

I am particularly pleased that when given the chance, the membership voted for diversity. We know from the Breaking the Barriers report that there is much to be done and this will be front and centre for me in the coming few years.

“For me diversity and inclusion are not abstract concepts, nor have they ever been about wanting it to be easier for me. They have always been about everyone, no matter who they are or where they come from, having access to the same opportunities and experiences that I have been lucky enough to enjoy. I look forward to working with you all to make this happen.”

Imperial’s Provost, Professor Ian Walmsley, said: “Tom has made a huge impact at Imperial, as a researcher at the forefront of sustainable chemistry, as a champion for diversity, and as Head of the Chemistry Department and Dean of the Faculty of Natural Sciences.

“His leadership has been invaluable to the careers of many students and staff, and his actions have helped develop their careers as scientists and professionals. I have no doubt he will continue to have a great impact on the future of chemistry through his presidency of the RSC.”

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