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Evolution of the awareness and knowledge of process safety in Latin America

Looking back can be rewarding and inspiring. More than 10 years ago, the Center for Chemical Process Safety (CCPS) and a group of safetyminded professionals from Argentina, belonging to private and consulting companies met. The outcome from that effort was the formation of the Latin American Conference on Process Safety (LACPS). The first LACPS was held in Buenos Aires in September 2008. The main speakers at this conference were recognized presenters from the United States and some local specialists. The conference was a success and highlighted an unmet demand for access to knowledge and learning experiences in the field of process safety. From that moment on, the CCPS has organized eight face-to-face conferences in different cities of Latin America. Many organizations have joined CCPS in this effort over the years, such as the Argentine Association of Chemical Engineers (AAIQ), the Argentine Chapter of the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), the Brazilian Chemical Industry Association (ABIQUIM), Brazilian Institute of Oil and Gas (IBP), Regional Association of Oil, Gas and Biofuels Sector Companies in Latin America and The Caribbean (ARPEL), to name a few. As the conferences were held, there was a notable increase in the number of attendees; however, most importantly, there was an improvement in the quantity and quality of the papers presented by Latin-American practitioners/specialists. The participation of company representatives from different Latin American countries in the management committees and as chairs and co-chairs of the different sections also increased. More than 80% of the papers presented are from manufacturing/operating companies (not consultants) with real cases and learning experiences in the field of process safety. This shows the outstanding practical value of the conferences. The average attendance at LACPS is 300 attendees with peaks that exceeded 450 attendees at the fifth LACPS in Cartagena, Colombia in 2013 and the sixth and eighth LACPS in Buenos Aires. Professionals from more than 15 countries and 70 companies have attended these events. Other notable incremental achievements include the first CCPS Latin American Regional Meeting that was held in Buenos Aires in September 2014. This led to the first process safety workshop that was sponsored by the CCPS-ARPEL (2017). This well-attended event featured 58 attendees including 12 production companies. Four consulting firms also participated, as well as the three organizational supporters, ARPEL, IAPG, and CCPS. The presentations were highly technical and focused on the difficulties, challenges, and solutions found in the implementation of process safety in oil and gas companies. In September 2018, the first Process Safety Leadership Forum, Process Safety Culture, was held in Buenos Aires. It included a successful discussion on the achievements, challenges, and process safety culture in their respective organizations. The most important conclusions of the debate were then presented to an audience at the conference. The evolving changes in the profiles of the conference attendees have also been notable. There has been an increased participation of company representatives from a variety of industries. During the first editions, there was a strong orientation toward the oil, gas, and petrochemical industries; the more recent ones have seen an increase in representation from upstream, agricultural, mining, and steel sectors. The conferences and CCPS Latin American Regional Meetings have been promoting other projects such as the translation of CCPS books into Spanish and Portuguese. The funds for these projects, the volunteers for the translation, and revision teams are provided by Latin America member companies of CCPS. The American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE) and CCPS have also given numerous process safety courses in Spanish and Portuguese. In 2020, the first virtual student boot camp was organized, sponsored by AIChE Latin America Association Chapter (AIChE LATAM). It provided process safety introduction to chemical engineering students in the region. It showcased how leading companies across a variety of chemical process industries (CPI) sectors manage process safety to prevent catastrophic accidents involving toxic, highly reactive, and flammable materials. Thirty-six students participated, as well as four professors. Held for the first time in the Latin America region, this student boot camp opens the door for future events in upcoming years such as a similar one in Brazil and in Colombia. In doing so, raises the awareness of process safety at the undergraduate level in the region. Different meetings are held annually in Argentina and Brazil to share and learn from experiences on different issues of process safety such as process safety culture, human factor, management of change, mechanical integrity, etc. The level of participation and the quality of the work and shared experiences have improved over time. Colombia is planning to start similar activities shortly. Much has occurred over the past 13 years, and there are plans to continue and expand the awareness, involvement, and expertise in process safety in the Latin American countries. In August 2020, the first virtual conference was held to replace the one that had been scheduled to take place in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The conference featured six keynote speakers, a panel discussion, Received: 5 April 2021 Accepted: 22 July 2021