(143b) CCPS Process Safety Student Boot Camp: Advancing Process Safety Education through Industry Collaboration

As part of a global initiative to accelerate Process Safety education and integrate real-world industry experience into academic learning, CCPS launched the Student Boot Camp program in 2015. Since its inception, CCPS has partnered with several CCPS member companies to deliver this impactful program to students at over 45 universities across the United States and one university in China.

This intensive two-day course is led by two seasoned CCPS instructors—each bringing over 25 years of hands-on experience in Process Safety from sectors including chemicals, petrochemicals, oil & gas, and broader manufacturing industries.

The core learning objectives of the Student Boot Camp include:

• Introducing students to how leading global companies effectively manage Process Safety to prevent catastrophic incidents involving toxic, flammable, and highly reactive materials.
• Providing students an opportunity to engage directly with experienced professionals—sharing lessons learned, exploring real-world scenarios, and discussing their own internship or co-op experiences.
• Facilitating interactive breakout sessions where students apply Risk-Based Process Safety (RBPS) elements and key Process Safety concepts in practical group exercises.
• Reinforcing learning through in-depth case studies of actual incidents to highlight key principles and the importance of robust safety systems.

The course begins by establishing foundational Process Safety concepts, including the Anatomy of an Incident, Loss of Containment, Containment and Control, and Layers of Protection Analysis—both preventive and mitigative. The curriculum then explores each of the 20 RBPS elements, emphasizing their individual and collective roles in achieving Process Safety excellence.

Each element is paired with a relevant incident case study to underscore its real-world implications and the critical importance of effective implementation. A capstone team exercise on Day 2 integrates all course learnings, allowing students to apply their knowledge in a simulated, systems-based scenario.

The CCPS Student Boot Camp continues to serve as a powerful bridge between academia and industry, equipping the next generation of engineers with the mindset, tools, and understanding necessary to lead with safety and most importantly, raising the safety culture thinking early in their operating journey.