One of the most interesting parts of writing is the time spent reviewing other publications for use as references. In our book (see below), we included approximately 450 references (not counting some overlap between chapters).
Here are a few of my favorite process safety books. I’m not claiming these are the best, since that’s dependent on individual interests and needs, just some of my personal favorites for a variety of reasons.
What Went Wrong? Case Histories of Process Plant Disasters and How They Could Have Been Avoided, 6th Edition
by Trevor Kletz
This book provides a wealth of incident examples and learnings that are a great resource for training and safety bulletins.
Engineering a Safer World: Systems Thinking Applied to Safety
by Nancy Leveson
Offers newer perspectives and tools for dealing with traditional safety-related problems through systems thinking.
A Human Error Approach to Aviation Accident Analysis
by Douglas A. Wiegmann and Scott A. Shappell
The practical application of Reason’s Swiss Cheese Model for investigating accidents that has been and can be modified for different industries.
Managing the Unexpected: Sustained Performance in a Complex World, 3rd Edition
by Karl E. Weick and Kathleen M. Sutcliffe
A classic that has influenced safety culture characteristics for managing risk.
Risk Based Process Safety
by the Center for Chemical Process Safety (CCPS)
Not an easy read, but a fantastic resource of information on the 20 elements of risk based process safety framework. Disclosure: I participated on this CCPS team.
Process Safety: Key Concepts and Practical Approaches
by James A. Klein and Bruce K. Vaughen
This book provides key concepts, practical approaches, and tools for establishing and maintaining effective process safety programs to successfully identify, evaluate, and manage process hazards. Disclosure: I am a co-author of this book.
Leave a comment with other process safety books that are your favorites!