Creating a safe plant is not about ticking boxes or adding extra layers of control at the end of a process. At Esseco UK, safety starts much earlier — in the way processes are designed, reviewed, adjusted and fully understood. For the Process Engineering team, safety is not a separate activity, but an integral part of every technical decision.
Safety starts with process understanding
A significant portion of the team’s work is formally dedicated to safety, but in practice it shapes almost everything they do. Each time process engineers analyse a deviation, review a contractor’s drawing, or assess a change on site, they are evaluating potential impacts on people, equipment and the environment.
Even small modifications can introduce unexpected risks if they are not properly understood. Process Engineering provides the deep process knowledge needed to anticipate those effects and support other teams before any activity takes place. This upstream approach allows safety to be built into decisions, rather than added later as a corrective measure.
A clear example: tank clearing and inspection
One of the clearest examples of “safety by design” comes from the inspection of a tank a highly hazardous material. Before maintenance could approach the equipment, the Process Engineering team needed to ensure that the operation could be carried out safely and under full control.
This required detailed calculations to define purging requirements the correct sequence of activities. The team established clear parameters, limits and methods to guarantee safe conditions throughout the operation.
As Process Engineer Santosh Mistry explains: “We led the sequence of activities to make it safe, so that it doesn’t put anyone at risk”.
This example shows how safety is not limited to new installations, but actively supports everyday maintenance activities involving complex and hazardous processes.
Designing safety into new assets
Safety also plays a central role in long-term projects. When new plants or equipment are designed, Process Engineering works closely with contractors and internal teams to ensure that every element aligns with site standards and real operating conditions.
This includes assessing:
- required safeguards for safe operation
- accessibility for operators and maintenance
- prevention of leaks, overpressure or uncontrolled reactions
- control systems, interlocks and instrumentation
The team also supports feasibility assessments for new products or process changes, translating laboratory-scale findings into full-scale production requirements in collaboration with R&D and operations.
By being involved from the earliest design stages, Process Engineering ensures that new installations arrive on site already aligned with the company’s safety expectations and ready for a smooth commissioning phase.
Technical leadership during incidents and investigations
Process Engineering also plays a key role during incident investigation and process deviations. When an unexpected event occurs, the team analyses instrument data, reviews process behaviour and identifies root causes.
This work often leads to:
- revised procedures
- improved isolation methods
- equipment modifications
- enhanced monitoring and control strategies
These insights help prevent recurrence, reinforce learning across departments and strengthen the overall safety culture of the site.
Safety through structured collaboration
Safety at Esseco UK is strengthened through structured, cross-functional collaboration. Process Engineering works alongside operations, maintenance, HSE and other technical functions to assess risks, review procedures and define safe ways of working.
Decisions are shaped through shared analysis, open discussion and a common understanding of process behaviour. This collaborative approach ensures that safety measures are robust, practical and consistently applied across the site — supporting both protection and operational effectiveness.
Safety as a driver of progress
Safety is not static. It evolves alongside the plant, influenced by new equipment, new products, regulatory requirements and continuous improvement opportunities. Whether supporting tank inspections, designing new reactors or modernising control systems, the Process Engineering team ensures that progress never comes at the expense of protection.
At Esseco UK, safety is engineered — deliberately, precisely and collaboratively.
In every line.
