The maximum temperature of a synthesis reaction (MTSR) is an important criterion for process risk assessment and reactor design. In this paper, the variation of the dimensionless MTSR0 and theta(MISR) (the instant corresponding to MTSR0) for isoperibolic processes is studied in detail. A new runaway criterion, denoted as MTSRC, is proposed. Based on the proposed operating diagrams, a robust procedure to identify generalized inherently safe operating conditions (GIS) characterized by both a sufficiently low accumulation and MTSR lower than MAT, is developed and used with limited kinetic information. These kinetic parameters are conveniently measured by performing only one adiabatic and two isothermal experiments at laboratory scale. Comparison between MTSRC and other safety criteria is performed. In conclusion, it is demonstrated that MTSRC is an efficient and robust criterion to identify inherently safe operating conditions. (C) 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.