New IChemE membership offer advances process safety

The Institution of Chemical Engineers (IChemE) has launched a new membership grade in response to growing demand for the recognition of process safety specialists.

The new Associate Member (Process Safety) qualification was unveiled in Belgium this week. It provides process safety specialists with a new route to join IChemE and start working towards becoming a Professional Process Safety Engineer.

Stephen Rowe, regional director – process safety EMEA at DEKRA Insights, was the first in the world to receive Associate Member (Process Safety) certification. Rowe also collected two certificates on behalf of his colleagues, Daniel Watters and Wahid Azizi, at the ceremony held in Antwerp.

Further presentations will take place over the next two weeks during a whistle-stop tour by IChemE’s international team, taking in Malaysia, Singapore, Turkey, the UK and the USA. Eight process safety practitioners will receive their Associate Member (Process Safety) certificates, while a further five will be awarded their Professional Process Safety Engineer qualifications recognising their competence in the field.

IChemE’s commitment to the advancement of process safety has grown substantially since its foundation in 1922. The institution has been running its global safety conference, Hazards, since 1960. It launched the globally recognised Professional Process Safety Engineer qualification in 2013 and established a dedicated safety centre to support continuous improvement in process safety last year.

Equivalent to IChemE’s Associate Member status, the new grade requires applicants to demonstrate basic competencies and activity in process safety, but not all of the attributes of being fully qualified.

IChemE’s director of qualifications and international development, Neil Atkinson, said, “This new addition to IChemE’s membership offer is an important step towards improving process safety globally. It’s a visible commitment to raising standards that are needed to cut the number of deaths and serious injuries in the chemical and process industry worldwide.”

Individuals looking to apply for the new membership grade can find out more information via http://www.icheme.org/membership/associate-member-process-safety.aspx.