Thoughts About Meeting the ABET Safety Requirements For Chemical Engineering Programs

Safety was first listed as a criterion for Chemical Engineering programs for the 2012-13 ABET accreditation cycle. In order to address this criterion, chemical engineering departments have been developing methods to incorporate safety into their program. The University of Iowa satisfies this criterion through a required junior-level chemical process safety course that was first offered during the Spring 1996 semester. A major laboratory component was added to this course in 1998 to provide students with numerous hands on experiences. While a dedicated chemical process safety course is the most straightforward method of addressing this ABET criterion, the criterion can also be addressed by incorporating safety into existing courses