Dear Colleagues,

Safety and risk management within process industries are of paramount importance in terms of safeguarding human lives, preserving the environment, and protecting valuable assets, all the while ensuring the uninterrupted and efficient operation of these industries. This Special Issue endeavors to deepen our understanding of the myriad challenges and opportunities within the realm of process safety. It provides a platform for researchers, practitioners, and policymakers to share invaluable insights and groundbreaking innovations. Through the collaboration of multidisciplinary perspectives, we strive to advance the state of knowledge in this critical field, ultimately contributing to the secure, sustainable, and prosperous future of process industries.

This Special Issue titled “Safety and Risk Management in Process Industries” serves as a comprehensive platform for the exchange of knowledge, research findings, and innovative approaches related to safety and risk management in various process industries. Process industries encompass a wide range of sectors, including chemical, petrochemical, pharmaceutical, manufacturing, and energy production, where the handling of hazardous materials and complex operations presents inherent safety challenges.

This Special Issue warmly welcomes original research articles, reviews, case studies, and critical analyses that delve into and address the following issues:

• Safety Culture and Human Factors: exploring the pivotal role of safety culture, human factors, and workforce engagement in elevating safety performance within process industries;
• Hazard Identification and Risk Assessment: introducing novel methodologies and tools for the identification of hazards, performance of risk assessments, and strategic mitigation of risks, all of which are tailored to the unique contexts of process industry settings;
• Process Safety Management: scrutinizing the effective implementation of process safety management systems, adherence to industry standards, and adoption of best practices aimed at accident and incident prevention;
• Emergency Preparedness and Response: evaluating emergency planning, response strategies, and the utilization of incident investigation techniques that aim to minimize the impact of accidents when they inevitably occur.
• Technological Advancements: putting a spotlight on cutting-edge technologies, such as artificial intelligence, the Internet of Things (IoT), and data analytics for real-time risk monitoring and dynamic risk management;
• Environmental Impact and Sustainability: investigating the intersection of process safety with environmental sustainability, with a focus on emissions reduction and effective waste management;
• Regulatory Compliance: analyzing the latest developments in regulatory frameworks and their implications for safety and risk management in the ever-evolving landscape of process industries.
• Safety Education and Training: discussing innovative approaches to safety education, training programs, and the dissemination of knowledge and best practices among industry professionals.

Dr. Chalaris Michail
Dr. Myrto Konstantinidou
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Safety is an international peer-reviewed open access quarterly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1800 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

• process safety
• risk management
• safety culture
• hazard identification
• emergency preparedness
• sustainability
• regulatory compliance
• safety education
• human factors
• process industries
• incident investigation