Book excerpt: In spite of the good safety records of chemical plants many people regard chemical production as dangerous because of a few major accidents that have occurred. A knowledge of at least the fundamentals of chemical safety technology is indispensable for chemists and engineers working in chemical industry. The increasingly stringent legal and administrative requirements can only be answered by more highly qualified employees. This book combines the author's experience of 15 years of research in the field of chemical safety and 10 years in the chemical industry. It provides newcomers with an easy access to the field and helps practitioners in the chemical industry to answer all questions concerning their daily work with hazardous materials or potentially dangerous chemical plants. The investigation of risks, and preventive measures to be taken to minimize the probability of an accident, as well as its consequences are explained.