(May-June) 2013 issue.pdf - Federation of Malaysian Manufacturers

Cover Story
2 nd Hazards Asia Pacific Symposium
An international audience of 240 process safety experts and regulators gathered in Kuala Lumpur for the 2 nd Hazards
Asia Pacific (Hazards AP) Symposium held from April 16 – 18, 2013. The Symposium was jointly organised by the
Chemical Industries Council of Malaysia (CICM) and the Institution of Chemical Engineers. It was officiated by Tan Sri
Mohd Sidek Hj Hassan, Chairman of the Petroliam Nasional Berhad (PETRONAS).
With the theme: “Achieving Operational Excellence in
a Competitive Environment”, the Symposium provided
a platform for process safety experts and regulators to
discuss the latest developments and challenges faced
by companies in the Asia Pacific region on chemical
process safety.
Tan Sri Mohd Sidek Hj Hassan in his keynote address
reminded companies that to remain competitive in the
long run, chemical companies in the Asia Pacific region
will need to contend with compliance to new regulations
and standards, rising energy and production costs and
increasing expectations to innovate and create sustainable
products and businesses. He also stated that maintaining
a good track record of health, safety and environment
performance is a must and that it is considered as a
license for companies to continue operating.
In his welcome speech, CICM Chairman Dr Abd Hapiz
Abdullah highlighted that “in the midst of enormous growth
in the chemical industry, particularly in the Asia Pacific
region, process safety continues to be more relevant than
ever. What’s more, with near instant communications, if
the chemical industry wants to keep
its license to operate, it must improve its health, safety
and environment performance by adopting a set of high
standards which are receptive to the views of the public
and other stakeholders”.
Keynote speakers featured in the three-day symposium
included Judith Hackitt, Chair of the British Health &
Safety Executive, Hans Volkmar Schwarz, Group-wide
Vice President of Process Safety at BASF, Datuk Wan
Zulkiflee, Chief Operating Officer and Executive Vice
President for Downstream Operations at PETRONAS.
Group photograph of the Heads of Safety and Health in
Malaysia, UK and China.
Other speakers included Wang Haoshui, the Director-
General in the Department of Hazardous Chemicals
and Work Safety Supervision, Lee Yang Soo, Senior
Vice- President for Health, Safety and Environment at
SK Innovation, John Bresland, President of Process
Safety Risk Assessment, Ian Hamilton, who was
appointed to run the global human factors team at
leading EHS consultancy practice, ERM, and Juan
Gabriel, Worldwide Managing Director of Sustainable
Operations for DuPont Sustainable Solutions.
Among the topics addressed by the keynote speakers
included Complacency to Anxiety – the Road to
Process Safety Leadership, Achieving Business
Sustainability Through Effective Management of
Process and Operational Risks, Supervision and
Administration of Safety in the Chemical Industry in
China, and Design of Buildings in Petrochemical
Facilities Using a Risk-Based Approach.
The Symposium also comprised a twin track technical
programme containing more than 40 peers reviewing
papers pertaining to process safety design and analysis,
asset integrity, operational safety, challenges of regulatory
compliance, process safety management, learning from
major hazards incidents and management of abnormal
operations; which highlighted the importance of
exchanging knowledge, learning from past mistakes
and sharing of best practices.
Some of the delegates who attended the
Hazards Asia Pacific Symposium
The next Hazards Asia Pacific Symposium is scheduled to
take place in May 2014 in Kuala Lumpur.
May – Jun 2013 | BIA@FMM 03