WORKSHOP ON CHEMICAL REACTOR RELIEF SYSTEM SIZING

HSE press release E005:03 - 13 January 2003

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is running a four-day workshop in early March on how to achieve safe operation of chemical reactors.

The workshop will concentrate on design of emergency relief systems for exothermic runaway reactions and is aimed principally at chemical engineers and applied chemists who have technical responsibilities for the safe operation of chemical reactors.

Based on HSE's Workbook for Chemical Reactor Relief System Sizing (CRR 136/1998), the main aim of this workshop is to provide user-friendly training on emergency relief system sizing of chemical reactors. Instruction will be given on the selection of the appropriate hand calculation methods used to size emergency relief systems, and on the methods used to obtain the relevant data needed. Practical syndicate exercises are also included so that attendees will gain hands-on experience of relief system design.

Previously held in January 2001, this workshop has been extended to include more information on "worst case" determination and hardware selection. Comments from attendees of the workshop held in 2001 include:

• "Has given us the tools for vent sizing."
• "Found it excellent value - well presented."
• "Overall very useful and we learned a lot."
• "Well explained, easy to understand equations, experienced presenters."

Copies of Workbook for chemical reactor relief system sizing, (CRR 136/1998) can be downloaded free of charge from the research publications area at HSE's web-site: http://www.hse.gov.uk/research/crr_htm/1998/crr98136.htm

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