Since its establishment, the Kocaeli Chamber of Industry (KSO) has prioritized environmental issues as well as occupational health and safety.
In line with this vision, even in the years when there was no legislation in place, KSO acted proactively and implemented numerous projects in the fields of environment and occupational health and safety.
Among the EU directives that Türkiye is harmonizing with, the Regulation on the Prevention of Major Industrial Accidents and the Mitigation of Their Effects (also known as the SEVESO Directive) has been one of the Chamber’s focus areas since 2013. This regulation imposes significant obligations particularly on facilities that operate in the chemical sector and those that store or handle chemicals. According to data from the Ministry of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change’s declaration system, Kocaeli is the province with the highest number of establishments falling under the SEVESO regulation. Therefore, this topic is of particular importance to the region.
KSO crowned its efforts in this area with the organization of the 1st Process Safety Symposium and Exhibition, held on May 14–15, 2018. This inaugural event covered topics such as the SEVESO Directive, Chemical Management, and the ATEX Directive, reaching an audience of 1,400 participants.
Due to strong interest, the second edition of the symposium was held on April 9–10, 2019 at the Muallimköy Informatics Valley. The event, which addressed new topics such as pressure vessels and the impact of digital transformation on process safety, hosted more than 1,600 participants.
On the other hand, due to the global impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the topics regarded as critical within the scope of the Process Safety Symposium were discussed virtually on February 9–10, 2021. The Process Safety Virtual Symposium in 2021 focused on themes such as “Chemicals and Sustainability” and “The Impact of Digitalization on Process Safety.”
The 3rd Process Safety Symposium and Exhibition was held on May 10–11, 2022, again at Informatics Valley, with the participation of national and international expert speakers, five sessions, 26 presentations, and three keynote speakers. The event attracted over 2,000 participants.
On September 12–13, 2023, the 4th Process Safety Symposium and Exhibition was held at the Kocaeli Congress Center. The main theme was “How Prepared is Industry for Earthquakes, Other Natural Disasters, and Major Industrial Accident Risks?” Over the two-day event, the symposium featured four keynote speakers, two sessions, and two panels. More than 40 companies exhibited in the expo area, and nearly 1,800 participants attended.
Most recently, the 5th Process Safety Symposium and Exhibition was held on October 8–9, 2024, once again at Informatics Valley. Strengthened with new topics and presented in an international format, the symposium succeeded in reaching an even wider audience.