ABSTRACT
Recognizing and assessing process hazards at a facility are the foundation of an effective process safety program. Process hazards are often present in petrochemical processes as well as in many other industries unless they have been eliminated or minimized through proper design, including an application of the inherently safer process technology. An intrinsic hazard assessment (IHA), or equivalent, is completed to ensure that all process hazards have been properly identified, assessed, and documented to provide a detailed understanding of the basic data for managing process hazards that are present. This chapter discusses the multiple sources of information that should always be used to ensure proper assessment of process hazards. It then provides a basic understanding of information on safety data sheets (SDSs) and chemical labels. When assessing toxicity hazards, both the intrinsic and potential health effects should be considered.
