Safety characterization for research and pilot-scale process units using an index-based approach

Laboratory and pilot-scale process (LAPP) facilities play a crucial role in chemical process development, but they present safety challenges that differ significantly from those encountered in industrial plants. Their dynamic nature—characterized by frequent reconfiguration, evolving operating conditions, and a strong reliance on manual and non-routine operations—limits the effectiveness of traditional risk assessment approaches. This thesis proposes a structured safety assessment methodology specifically tailored to LAPP environments. The approach combines a semi-quantitative index-based screening tool with consequence modelling, enabling both rapid identification of critical safety issues and detailed evaluation of high-risk scenarios. The index integrates multiple dimensions of risk, including process and substance hazards, design and mechanical integrity, operational and human factors, and technical barriers and emergency preparedness. A discrete scoring system is used to support comparison and prioritization of safety conditions across different experimental configurations. The methodology is applied to a pilot-scale Fischer–Tropsch (FT) process, demonstrating that operational practices and human factors can significantly influence the overall risk profile, often more than intrinsic process hazards. Consequence modelling of selected release scenarios highlights the rapid development of hazardous conditions, particularly for toxic exposures, and reveals the limited effectiveness of ventilation as a standalone mitigation measure. Overall, the proposed framework provides a practical and adaptable decision-support tool for improving safety management in research and pilot-scale environments, bridging the gap between qualitative screening and quantitative analysis.