The chemical industry, Türkiye's third-largest export sector, is entering a new era

Regulation Set to Transform Chemical Sector Chemistry Industrial Accidents Can Be Prevented Process Safety Symposium and Exhibition to Guide the Sector

The Kocaeli Chamber of Industry, representing 27% of Turkish chemical manufacturing, organized the Process Safety Symposium and Exhibition to discuss new regulations expected to reshape the balance in the chemical sector.

The Symposium, which began on 14 May 2018 at The Green Park Pendik Hotel and Congress Centre and will run for two days, brought together legislators, inspectors, company owners, sector employees, educators and certification bodies.

Chemical industry learns about new regulations

The SEVESO Directives, enacted in European Union countries to prevent major industrial accidents and minimize potential damage to people and the environment, will now be implemented in Turkey in their most current form.

The Ministry of Labour and Social Security is completing its work on a new regulation draft that will reduce the risk of major industrial accidents to one in a million. The Regulation on the Prevention of Major Industrial Accidents and Mitigation of Their Effects, which will contain the updated SEVESO Directives expected in July 2018, will usher in a new era for Turkey, particularly in the petrochemicals, plastics, paints and coatings, cosmetics and insulation materials sectors.

When this new regulation, discussed at the Process Safety Symposium and Exhibition, is updated, companies will face numerous penalties.

High costs for companies

Hasan Şerefhan, Chairman of the Process Safety Symposium Organizing Board and Member of the Kocaeli Chamber of Industry Board, noted in his opening remarks that the chemical sector, one of Turkey's locomotive industries, faces new responsibilities for advancing under more efficient conditions, national security, environmental protection and, above all, human health.

Şerefhan stated that in the process of adapting to SEVESO Directives, the chemical industry will have to review all its processes and that this will also provide companies with an opportunity to measure their productivity and make necessary improvements.

Pointing out that a major industrial accident could cause severe damage leading to company closure, Şerefhan emphasized that reducing risks to one in a million is critical not only for the country but also for companies themselves.

Şerefhan stressed that in increasingly competitive conditions, the costs of SEVESO Directive compliance are extremely high for companies and shared information about discussions with Ministry officials regarding what could be done to ensure the sector's production processes are not disrupted and what incentive support could be provided.

EU funds can be used for investments

Çınar Ulusoy, Vice Chairman of the Kocaeli Chamber of Industry Board said in his opening remarks that they were very pleased to host such an important event for the sector.

Pointing out that 27% of chemical manufacturing is active in Kocaeli, Ulusoy noted that Kocaeli is also the province with the most companies falling under the scope of SEVESO Directives.

Ulusoy stated that companies face major investments in the process of harmonizing SEVESO Directives, which are of critical importance for national security, and emphasized that they are demanding the use of European Union funds or the activation of incentive and support mechanisms for this purpose.

Ulusoy also announced that they aim to make the Process Safety Symposium and Exhibition, which they organized for the first time this year, a regular event.

About SEVESO Directives:

The Seveso Directives, developed to prevent major industrial accidents and mitigate their effects, were adopted by the European Union following an accident in 1976 in the town of Seveso, Italy, to prevent and control similar accidents.

In our country, the Regulation on the Control of Major Industrial Accidents containing the SEVESO Directives, first published in 2010 and revised in 2013, will be updated once more in July 2018.