The main objective of this study is to identify potentially hazardous operating conditions of an entrained flow gasification process that is currently under development, and to determine whether the equipment and instrumentation that are to be employed in a 30-ton per day process development unit (PDU) will assure personnel safety. The analysis of the components of the PDU showed that the greatest potential operational hazard is unforeseen reduction or complete interruption in coal feed to the gasification reactor without an adjustment of the oxygen feed rate prior to automatic activation of the Emergency Shut Down of the system. It is absolutely essential that adequate controls be incorporated into the system to rapidly terminate oxygen flow following any unscheduled reduction or interruption in the coal flow. Analysis of the response of the instruments and the critical oxygen control valve has resulted in the conclusion that interruption in the coal feed would be automatically sensed, the oxygen valve nearest the reactor closed, and purging of the reactor vessel with steam and nitrogen initiated less than two seconds after any coal flow blockage. 4 figures, 7 tables.