- Email: [email protected]
Handbook of chemical health and safety (2001)
228
Book Reviews / Journal of Loss Prevention in the Process Industries 16 (2003) 227–228
ness. The book is written at a level so that it will be of benefit to such persons as on-site engineers, process design engineers, environmental engineers, process safety/loss prevention specialists, process hazard analysis (PHA) team members, and regulatory agency personnel. I highly recommend this excellent and useful book to all those mentioned above. Stanley S. Grossel Process Safety & Design, Inc., 41 Sussex Road, Clifton, NJ 07012-2017, USA E-mail address: [email protected] Tel.: +1-973-779-8579; fax: +1-973-779-8579. doi:10.1016/S0950-4230(03)00016-0
Handbook of chemical health and safety (2001) Edited by Robert J. Alaimo, American Chemical Society, Washington, DC, and Oxford University Press, Oxford, UK/New York, NY, 652 pages, $195.00 This handbook was planned and undertaken by the American Chemical Society to be a comprehensive resource in the field of chemical health and safety. It is meant for use by chemists, chemical engineers, and health and safety professionals. The handbook is intended to serve as a starting source for chemical health and safety practices and does not purport to cover all related issues. The 94 contributors were chosen for their expertise in their fields to ensure that the handbook is the most authoritative and complete available as of the present time. The handbook contains discussions of 86 different topics and a good subject index. The topics are grouped in 8 main sections. Since there are too many topics to discuss individually, I am reviewing only those that I was most interested in and that I felt would be of more use to chemical engineers and process safety and loss prevention specialists. Section I is concerned with safety management and policy and has 10 topics. Among the subjects of interest were: effective management of contractors/visitors, chemical safety information on the internet, and understanding the Toxic Substances Control Act compliance and reporting requirements. Section II contains 13 discussions of topics in risk management. Some of the ones that I found of most use were: occupational exposure limits, industrial hygiene exposure assessment-data collection and management, industrial hygiene exposure assessment-data analysis and interpretation, toxicology, process safety reviews, safe entry into confined spaces, and the control of hazardous energy (lockout/tagout). Emergency management topics are discussed in Section
III, which include the following topics that I found of interest: emergency response planning and training, emergency evacuation/shelter-in-place, and accident/ incident investigation. Section IV is entitled Laboratory Equipment, but actually contains discussions of topics that are relevant to chemical plant design and operation. These include: inert atmospheres work (a very good discussion), preventive maintenance, laboratory scale-up and pilot plant operations, reducing electrostatic hazards associated with chemical processing operations (also a very good discussion), and specialized laboratory containment-control hoods (applicable for the processing of toxic gases/vapors and particulate solids). A number of important topics are discussed in Section V on Chemical Management. These include: material safety data sheets; personal protective equipment; incompatible chemicals; flammables and combustibles; peroxidizable organic chemicals; disposal of shock- and water-sensitive, pyrophoric, and explosive materials; and explosive and reactive chemicals. In Section VI, radiological and biological safety topics are covered. Two subjects that interested me, as they pertain to bioprocess plants, are: biological safety: program elements and biological safety: emergency response and decontamination procedures. Section VII is entitled Laboratory Design, but contains discussions of some topics that also pertain to chemical and pharmaceutical production plants. These include: isolation technology (applicable to production of potent pharmaceutical compounds), high-pressure test cells and barriers, clean rooms for semiconductors, and general ventilation design and control systems. Section VIII is the final section and covers topics in Environmental Management, among which are the following which I found useful: the disposal of chemical wastes, safe handling of biohazardous materials for transport, general aspects of waste minimization, and environmental controls and liabilities (U.S regulations). The topics discussed in this handbook vary in length, some being more comprehensive than others. Most of them contain relevant, up-to-date references, so that a reader can follow up on the topic being discussed and find more detailed information in other sources. This book contains much useful information that will be helpful to both neophytes and experienced chemists, chemical engineers, and process safety/loss prevention specialists. I recommend it as a useful reference source on chemical health and safety. Stanley S. Grossel, Process Safety & Design, Inc., 41 Sussex Road, Clifton, NJ 07012-2017, USA Tel.: +1-973-779-8579; fax: +1-973-779-8579. doi:10.1016/S0950-4230(03)00005-6
Book Reviews / Journal of Loss Prevention in the Process Industries 16 (2003) 227–228
ness. The book is written at a level so that it will be of benefit to such persons as on-site engineers, process design engineers, environmental engineers, process safety/loss prevention specialists, process hazard analysis (PHA) team members, and regulatory agency personnel. I highly recommend this excellent and useful book to all those mentioned above. Stanley S. Grossel Process Safety & Design, Inc., 41 Sussex Road, Clifton, NJ 07012-2017, USA E-mail address: [email protected] Tel.: +1-973-779-8579; fax: +1-973-779-8579. doi:10.1016/S0950-4230(03)00016-0
Handbook of chemical health and safety (2001) Edited by Robert J. Alaimo, American Chemical Society, Washington, DC, and Oxford University Press, Oxford, UK/New York, NY, 652 pages, $195.00 This handbook was planned and undertaken by the American Chemical Society to be a comprehensive resource in the field of chemical health and safety. It is meant for use by chemists, chemical engineers, and health and safety professionals. The handbook is intended to serve as a starting source for chemical health and safety practices and does not purport to cover all related issues. The 94 contributors were chosen for their expertise in their fields to ensure that the handbook is the most authoritative and complete available as of the present time. The handbook contains discussions of 86 different topics and a good subject index. The topics are grouped in 8 main sections. Since there are too many topics to discuss individually, I am reviewing only those that I was most interested in and that I felt would be of more use to chemical engineers and process safety and loss prevention specialists. Section I is concerned with safety management and policy and has 10 topics. Among the subjects of interest were: effective management of contractors/visitors, chemical safety information on the internet, and understanding the Toxic Substances Control Act compliance and reporting requirements. Section II contains 13 discussions of topics in risk management. Some of the ones that I found of most use were: occupational exposure limits, industrial hygiene exposure assessment-data collection and management, industrial hygiene exposure assessment-data analysis and interpretation, toxicology, process safety reviews, safe entry into confined spaces, and the control of hazardous energy (lockout/tagout). Emergency management topics are discussed in Section
III, which include the following topics that I found of interest: emergency response planning and training, emergency evacuation/shelter-in-place, and accident/ incident investigation. Section IV is entitled Laboratory Equipment, but actually contains discussions of topics that are relevant to chemical plant design and operation. These include: inert atmospheres work (a very good discussion), preventive maintenance, laboratory scale-up and pilot plant operations, reducing electrostatic hazards associated with chemical processing operations (also a very good discussion), and specialized laboratory containment-control hoods (applicable for the processing of toxic gases/vapors and particulate solids). A number of important topics are discussed in Section V on Chemical Management. These include: material safety data sheets; personal protective equipment; incompatible chemicals; flammables and combustibles; peroxidizable organic chemicals; disposal of shock- and water-sensitive, pyrophoric, and explosive materials; and explosive and reactive chemicals. In Section VI, radiological and biological safety topics are covered. Two subjects that interested me, as they pertain to bioprocess plants, are: biological safety: program elements and biological safety: emergency response and decontamination procedures. Section VII is entitled Laboratory Design, but contains discussions of some topics that also pertain to chemical and pharmaceutical production plants. These include: isolation technology (applicable to production of potent pharmaceutical compounds), high-pressure test cells and barriers, clean rooms for semiconductors, and general ventilation design and control systems. Section VIII is the final section and covers topics in Environmental Management, among which are the following which I found useful: the disposal of chemical wastes, safe handling of biohazardous materials for transport, general aspects of waste minimization, and environmental controls and liabilities (U.S regulations). The topics discussed in this handbook vary in length, some being more comprehensive than others. Most of them contain relevant, up-to-date references, so that a reader can follow up on the topic being discussed and find more detailed information in other sources. This book contains much useful information that will be helpful to both neophytes and experienced chemists, chemical engineers, and process safety/loss prevention specialists. I recommend it as a useful reference source on chemical health and safety. Stanley S. Grossel, Process Safety & Design, Inc., 41 Sussex Road, Clifton, NJ 07012-2017, USA Tel.: +1-973-779-8579; fax: +1-973-779-8579. doi:10.1016/S0950-4230(03)00005-6