The Institution of Chemical Engineers (IChemE) recognized the efforts of safety pioneer Trevor Kletz who died Nov. 2 at the age of 91.
Kletz was one of industry’s most respected figures following a career as an industry safety advisor, lecturer and writer.
“Trevor’s impact on industry was striking. His ability to convey safety information succinctly, and effectively, was central to his success,” said IChemE President Judith Hackitt. “On behalf of IChemE, I extend our sincere sympathies to his family and friends. We will ensure the memory and work of Trevor lives on within the chemical engineering community.”
IChemE chief executive David Brown says that the impact of Kletz’s work will be felt for many years.
“Trevor unquestionably saved lives,” Brown says. “There are people working in the process industries today who will go home safely to their families and loved ones, thanks to Trevor. He had a profound impact on industrial safety.”
Kletz worked for ICI from 1944 to 1982. In 1968 he was appointed as one of the process industry’s first technical safety advisers with a broad scope, which included advising designers and operators about how to avoid accidents, specifically with regard to process accidents.
After leaving ICI, Trevor built a second career as a process safety consultant, writer and lecturer. He was elected a fellow of IChemE in 1978, a fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering in 1984 and awarded an OBE for services to process safety in 1997. He wrote 14 books and more than 100 peer-reviewed papers on process safety.
Kletz was also a contributor to Chemical Processing. His articles Bhopal Leaves a Lasting Legacy and Check for Human Errors remain popular reads offering insight and best practices.
Kletz remained active professionally until his retirement earlier this year.
For more information, visit www.icheme.org.
