Chemical substitution in processes for inherently safer design: pros and cons

The aim of chemical substitution is to replace hazardous chemicals with a less hazardous alternative in a certain product or process to make it safer for human health and the environment. While a lot has been done by researchers, industries and regulatory bodies on chemical substitution for safer products, very little has been reported in the field of safer processes. On the other hand, chemical substitution is one of the core principles of inherently safer design, a concept frequently used in the chemical industry for the prevention of major accidents. This work presents an analysis of implementing chemical substitution methodology for safer processes through inherently safer design. Chemical industries, nowadays, are frequently asked to phase out hazardous chemicals from their processes. This paper provides an insight into the issues and practicability of chemical substitution in processes with the help of case studies and a review of the existing frameworks of inherently safer design.