UNIVERSITY OF MAURITIUS

MODULE SPECIFICATION SHEET

1.

GENERAL INFORMATION
Academic Year: 2013/2014
Semester(s): Second
Title

Chemical Process safety

& Loss Prevention

2.

Code

Duration (hrs)

No of credits

Lectures: 45
Practicals:0
CHE 3203 Seminars:
Tutorials:
Others (Specify):
Total: 45

3.0

PRE-REQUISITE(S)/PRE-REQUIREMENT(S) - None
A student will be allowed to follow module y of which module x is a pre-requisite (PR) provided Grade G or Grade E or
above has been achieved in module x.
A student will be allowed to follow module y of which module x is a pre-requirement (PQ) provided s/he has followed
module x and sat for the examinations in module x.

3.

AIMS
This module has been designed to provide an in-depth coverage for best practices
involved in safety and loss prevention in the chemical industry, with specific reference to
industrial safety regulations in Mauritius. Learners will be familiarised with all types of
occupational hazards, their effects as well as the modes of control. Students will be
exposed to a typical chemical plant environment and study therein safety aspects, like
Standard Operating Procedures (SoPs), Process Safety Management (PSM) Tools, PPEs,
management of accidental/incidental chemical release & decontamination procedures.

4.

OUTLINE SYLLABUS
Sources & Evaluation of Exposure to Hazardous Substances; Hazard Control; Hazard and
Operability Study;Hazan; Risk Assessment; Occupational Health & Safety Management;
Health & Safety Audit in workplaces; Types, Effect and Control of Noise; Noise Survey;
Safety in Chemical Process Industry; Occupational Health Hazards (types, health effects
and standards).

5.

LEARNING OUTCOMES
Having studied this module, the students should be able to:

Understand the importance of safety in the chemical industry

Describe health hazards to which workers are exposed.

Evaluate these hazards and to propose control measures.

Have an insight of how accidents cause great loss to the chemical industry.

Demonstrate the usefulness of the legal framework pertaining to safety at the

workplace (with special reference to OSHA 2005).

Understand the different types of noise, their effects and modes of control.

Know all physical, chemical, biological & psyco-social occupational hazards

Understand a safety & health audit in a place of work.

Familiarise with a typical chemical plant and study all safety features of same.

Understand the importance of Standard Operating Procedures (SoP) & know how to
write the SoPs for start-up & shut-down operations of a chemical plant.

Familiarise with the objective, classification & types of PPEs

Understand the major procedures in the management of health & safety in a company

Know some of the Process Safety Management tools.

Understand the safety issues associated with an accidental/incidental release of a

dangerous chemical & the subsequent decontamination procedures.

6.

COOORDINATORS:
Programme Coordinator

Name
Department
Building
Room Number
Phone No.
E-mail address
Consultation Time

Dr V Seebaluck
Chemical & Environmental
Engineering
FoE Phase II
G9
4037766
v.seebaluck@uom.ac.mu
On request

Area Coordinator
(if applicable)

Module Coordinator
Mrs V Dookhun
Chemical & Environmental
Engineering
FoE, Phase II
G7
4037860
v.dookhun@uom.ac.mu
On request

7.

LECTURER(S)

Name
Department

Mr A K Ragen
Chemical & Environmental
Engineering

Building
Room Number
Phone No.
E-mail address
Contact Hours
Consultation Time

FoE, Phase II
G7
4037765
ak.ragen@uom.ac.mu
22.5

Contact Address
(For P/T)

8.

On request

Mrs V Dookhun
Chemical &
Environmental
Engineering
New Eng Tower
4
4037860
v.dookhun@uom.ac.mu
22.5
Thursdays as from 1
pm

VENUE AND HOURS/WEEK

All lectures will normally be held in Room: 2.16 (As indicated in time table)
Hours/week: 3

9.

MODULE MAP

Wk(s)

Hr(s)

1.5

Introduction to Chemical process safety and Loss Prevention

1.5

Occupational
Hazards

1.5
1.5

3
4

1.5
1.5
1.5
1.5

Theme(s)

Lecture Title(s)

Intoduction to chemical safety & its

importances with reference to accidents at
work & occupational disease data in the local
context
Occupational health hazards- health effects; Routes of entry;
Dose-response; health standards
Occupational
Physical, chemical, biological & psyco-social
Hazards
hazards, some circumstances, effect & control
Sources and evaluation of exposure to hazardous substances
Occupational
Physical, chemical, biological & psyco-social
Hazards
hazards, some circumstances, effect & control
Hazard control and lone working Control principles & measures
Occupational
Definition, types, health effects & control of
Noise
occupational noise
Assignment 1
Occupational
Noise measurement, decimeter, decibels,
Noise
addition & average of noise; definition of Leq,
noise standards in mauritius

1.5
1.5

1.5

Hazop hazard & operability study; Hazan- brief

description

1.5

Occupational
health & safety
management

1.5

Hazop hazard & operability study; Hazan- brief

description

1.5

Safety Tools

1.5

Hazop hazard & operability study; Hazan- brief

description

1.5

The Chemical
Plant &
associated safety
features

1.5
1.5

Introduction to risk assessment

1.5
1.5

Risk Assessment continued

1.5

Class Test

10

11

The Chemical
Plant &
associated safety
features
The Chemical
Plant &
associated safety
features

Work environment health & safety audit;

occupational health surveillance programme;
organizational procedures; indicators of
progress

Personal Protective Equipments; its aim,

selection, classification, some example of
circumstances when a PPE is needed

Description of a typical chemical plant & its

associated equipment; description of the
process; its PFID

Standard Operating Procedures (SoPs); its

definition, format, scope of application.
Writing SoPs for start-up, shut-down &
maintenance procedures.
Control of Substances Hazardous to Health
(CoSHH); its definition, major requirements,
and the form. Producing a CoSHH form for a
specific maintenance job in the plant.

Lecturer
Initials
VD

L, P, S, V,
T, Test

AKR

VD
AKR

VD
AKR

VD
AKR

VD
AKR

L
L

VD

AKR

VD

AKR

VD

AKR

VD
AKR

L
L

VD
AKR

L
L

VD

12

13

1.5

Process Hazard
Analysis (PHA)

1.5
1.5

Case study

1.5
1.5

Oral presentation

Process Hazard
Analysis (PHA)

Process Hazard
Analysis (PHA)

PHA requirements; PHA tools: What-if, its

objectives, steps, question areas; writing some
what-if questions & answer
PHA tools: Checklist, its objectives; Checklist
questions categories: causes of accidents,
facility functions; drafting checklist questions
PHA tools: What-if/Checklist, its objectives;
Drafting questions in specific areas

14

1.5
Revision
1.5
Class Test & Discussion on Exams
15
1.5
Discussion on exams past papers
1.5
Revision
Abbreviations: L: Lectures, P: Practicals, T: Tutorials, V: Visits, S: Seminars

10.

RECOMMENDED BOOKS/JOURNALS/WEBSITES

11.

ESSAY(S)/ASSIGNMENT(S)/PRACTICAL(S)

AKR

VD
AKR

L
L

VD
AKR

S
L

VD
AKR
VD
AKR

L
L
L
L

RAGEN

1.

Title

Maximum Marks

To produce
MSDS for all chemicals used in the
Department of Chemical &
Environmental labs

10

DOOKHUN

Last
Submission
Date
th
10 week

12.

ASSESSMENT

(i)

Written Examination
Paper Structure

Sections (if any): A: 3 questions

B: 3 questions
Multiple Choice Questions: None

No. of questions to be answered: 4

Exams date: MAY 2014

Paper Duration:2 hours

Compulsory Questions (if any) : None

Weighting (%): 70
Total Marks: 100

(ii)

Pass Marks: 40

Continuous Assessment

Assignment(s): 2
Practical(s): 0
Oral Presentation : 1
Test(s): 2

Mrs V Dookhun
Weighting (15 %)
5
0
5
20

Mr A K Ragen
Weighting (15%)
10

30

60

Total Marks:
30% of the total marks for this module
11.

OTHER INFORMATION

50