Abstract
At this point in time we have indications that ageing contributes to incidents in the field of the chemical industry. Due to ageing factors these installations can be more susceptible to failure, with incidents involving hazardous substances as a result. This aspect is named a "ageing' of the process industry. The paper is about the definition of ageing and how various players in the field, including the government and the Dutch (petro) chemical industry, address this phenomenon.
In the past years, various Dutch initiatives were started with a focus on ageing of installations. The RIVM has made an analysis of ageing factors that may have played a role in reported incidents involving hazardous substances. The Seveso Inspectorates have started a joint project to check compliance with legal provisions on ageing of Seveso installations. In the context of the current program Sustainable Safety in 2030, the government, chemical industry, and knowledge institutes have drawn up a roadmap for a sustainable asset integrity with zero chemical incidents in 2030, in which ageing of assets is one of the relevant items.
The RIVM has participated in the mentioned ageing projects and has made an overview of the aims and the results of the initiatives.
