Abstract

RIVM has carried out an inventory of which political-administrative, economic, sociocultural, and technological developments in the coming years can have an impact on safety in the chemical sector. The forecast involves companies that produce, process, or store large quantities of hazardous substances. RIVM carried out the inventory at the request of the Ministry of Social Affairs and Employment (SZW). Knowledge of these developments will help the ministry to formulate policy with regard to these companies.

The most important development for the chemical sector is the energy transition. In the coming years, there will be a transition in the use of raw materials and energy sources from fossil fuels to sustainable energy. As a result, the risks for workers can change, in a positive as well as negative sense.

An unfavourable economic situation or a deterioration in the competitive position of the Dutch chemical sector could motivate companies to implement cost savings. Generally speaking, cost savings can lead to working conditions becoming less safe.

Digitisation and automation will be implemented in the chemical sector on an increasingly larger scale. Generally speaking, this will result in the working environment becoming safer for workers. That is because they will increasingly be able to manage processes remotely, for example with robots. At the same time, unsafe situations can develop due to the chance of disturbances in ICT.

A steadily growing risk is the ageing of installations that have already been in operation for a long time. This requires effective management and maintenance of existing installations. Knowledge and organisations can also "age", in part due to the rapid pace of digital developments.