Chemical distribution in Belgium from 2007 to 2010:an empirical study

Chemical distribution is described from a product lifecycle perspective. The impact of the economic decline in 2009 on Belgian chemical distribution is given in figures. In 2010 the sector recovered sharply. Although the individual companies performed very differently, overall, 2010 was even better than 2008. Increasingly complex legislation on chemical products has initiated a consolidation trend in the sector which in turn has brought on trends in outsourcing and inventory management.<br

REACH implementation costs in the Belgian food industry:a semi-qualitative study

In this paper we discuss how companies in the Belgian food industry are affected by the REACH legislation and whether their competitiveness is weakened as a result. The study has been carried out through an extensive literature study, an electronic survey, in-depth interviews and a case-study. No indication is observed of REACH compliance significantly hampering the competitive position of Belgian food industry. The overall cost burden seems to be relatively low. In contrast with the chemical industry, large food companies bear the highest costs, whereas the financial impact on small and medium-sized food companies remains limited.<br

Engineering an instrument to evaluate safety critical manning arrangements in chemical industrial areas

Due to the higher workload it produces, reducing the size of operational teams in the chemical process industry can have a negative effect on the ability to control abnormal situations, fatigue, etc. A lack of qualified operational personnel in unusual conditions and the resulting lack of process control can trigger a series of internal or external accidents, eventually leading to a major accident. This paper suggests a practical method to evaluate the safety critical staffing levels required to meet performance specifications for safety critical activities. For single plants as well as for clusters of chemical plants, the method also enables consultants and inspectors to consequently apply principles to assess those manning levels representing the last but one line of defense in the prevention of major accidents