Bi-directional connectivity diagram for accident propagation analysis considering the interactions between multiple-process units

An incident may propagate to an accident with different severity dependent on its propagation scenarios. Since the accident propagation is a two-way process, the current research is focusing on the one-way analysis. This paper aims to analyze the combined effect of multi-units sources and their interactions during the accident propagation. The bi-directional connectivity diagram (BDCD) is applied to visualize the interactions between multiple process units as hazardous sources. The deployed safety barriers interrupt the connection between the hazardous sources and thus minimize the influence of one BDCD node on another. Through which, the accident propagation is reduced. The proposed method can be suitable to the general accidents, and it is applied to a case study of the LNG terminal station to assess the potential consequences of explosion caused by the leakage, in which the cost of the safety barrier is also considered. The BDCD approach is found more effective than traditional single-hazardous source methods for analyzing the accident propagation of multi-units sources in the chemical plant and achieving intrinsic safety.     

Process safety management lessons learned from a fire and explosion accident caused by a liquefied petroleum gas leak in an aromatics reforming unit in Taiwan

A severe fire and explosion accident was caused by a liquefied petroleum gas leak in Taiwan in 2019. This accident resulted in the loss of approximately US$3.5 billion in output value due to a one-and-a-half-year shutdown after the accident; however, no casualties were recorded at the accident scene. An analysis of the accident pipelines demonstrated that the pipeline leak had been caused by hydrochloric acid corrosion. Cause analysis based on the accident timeline, fault tree analysis, and causal factor charting indicated inadequacies in five elements of process safety management (PSM) namely mechanical integrity (MI), management of change, emergency planning and response, process hazard analysis (PHA), and process safety information (PSI) as the root causes of the accident. Furthermore, insufficient PSI (i.e., a lack of comprehensive understanding regarding corrosion mechanisms) was deemed to have been the core problem leading to the accident. This accident revealed common shortcomings that are often overlooked in PSM implementation in Taiwan; thus, the present research can serve as a vital reference for improving PSM programs in Taiwan.     

计算机辅助HAZOP技术的研究

在HAZOP原理的基础上,讨论了计算机辅助HAZOP技术的优势,并针对传统的HAZOP、基于深层知识模型SDG的计算机辅助HAZOP和应用PHA-Pro软件3种方法进行了分析和比较;介绍了研发成功的针对开、停车过程和应急阶段顺序颠倒、操作步骤遗漏的人工误操作危险与可操作性分析系统MO-HAZOP;该系统具有定量计算出所有的人工误操作顺序组合的发生概率值,结合现有知识和专家经验,判定事件发生的风险等级,从而有重点地给出预防危险、保障生产安全的建议的功能;MO-HAZOP分析系统对于石化企业的安全生产具有重要意义。     

航空人为差错事故/事件分析(ECAR)模型研究

为深入研究航空人为差错事故/事件的影响因素,以人为差错相关理论为基础,对比分析几种典型的人为差错分析模型;通过借鉴ECCAIRS分析框架,并在基元事件分析(EEAM)逻辑和CCAR396部的分类方法基础上,构建航空人为差错事故/事件分析(ECAR)模型,它从事件层、描述层、原因层和组织因素与改进建议层,分析航空事故和不安全事件的人为差错。此外,还将组织因素概念引入该模型。     

烷基苯联合装置风险及控制研究

烷基苯联合装置含有国家安全监管总局首批重点监管的15种危险化工工艺中的加氢工艺、烷基化工艺两种,装置工艺介质为易燃、易爆、有毒及强腐蚀性物质,生产中潜在危险性较大;开展工艺风险研究,落实控制措施,对于提高装置本质安全性具有极为重要意义.首先探讨了工艺危险和要害部位,确认装置主要风险为火灾、爆炸和毒性危害;然后应用HAZOP方法,以加氢反应进料加热炉、烷基化反应器为分析对象,研究了工艺状态参数温度、压力、物料流量等方面出现偏差的原因、后果及安全措施;还对氢气泄漏发生火灾、爆炸和苯泄漏发生火灾、爆炸、人员中毒进行了事故后果定量分析,提出了相应的安全措施,以消除或降低工艺危险,保障装置安全.     

Research on the prediction model of hazardous chemical road transportation accidents

In recent years, hazardous chemicals road transport accidents have occurred frequently, causing huge casualties and property losses, and accident risk assessment has become the focus of researchers' research. To predict the risk probability value of hazardous chemical road transport accidents, first, we compiled data on road transportation accidents of hazardous chemicals in China in the past five years. And the nine nodes in the Bayesian network (BN) structure were defined in combination with relevant classification standards. The optimal Bayesian network structure for hazardous chemical road transport accidents was determined based on the K2 algorithm and the causalities between the nodes. Second, the node conditional probabilities were derived by parameter learning of the model using Netica, and the validity of the model was verified using the 5-fold cross-validation method. Last, the Bayesian network model of hazardous chemical road transport accidents is used to analyze accident examples, and the accident chain of “rear-end-leakage” is predicted, and the accident is most likely to be disposed of within 3–9 h. The study shows that the derived accident prediction model for hazardous chemical road transportation can reason reasonably about the evolution of accident scenarios and determine the probability values of accident risks under different parameter conditions.     

糠醛厂生产过程安全评价

对企业生产过程中的危险有害因素进行安全评价,是当前企业预防事故发生的有效手段。安全评价技术在国内外已有较长的发展历史,但关于糠醛生产过程的安全评价方法及研究还比较匮乏。在糠醛生产过程中存在着火灾、爆炸、中毒、噪声等危险因素,极易造成大量的人员伤亡和财产损失。根据某糠醛厂的实际情况,结合安全评价的基本程序,采用重大危险源辨识及事故树分析评价法,对危险有害因素进行辨识和评价。结果显示,糠醛厂存在着锅炉超压爆炸的危险,利用事故树分析法可以及时的找出预防途径,有针对性地提出安全改进的合理建议,从而进一步改善糠醛厂生产过程中的环境。评价的结果对糠醛生产企业进行安全决策、减少事故隐患,具有积极的指导意义。     

近十年中国民航事故及事故征候的统计分析

对1996—2005年我国民航发生的32起事故及1147起事故征候进行统计分析,其结果表明:我国民航事故和事故征候的万架次率及万时率均呈下降态势,机组、机械和机务原因是我国民航事故和事故征候的主要原因,事故征候的主要类型是鸟击、空中停车、偏出/冲出跑道/场外接地,事故征候发生阶段依次为巡航、起飞、着陆、爬升和进近。该研究成果有助于寻找事故和事故征候成因和规律。明确安全管理重点和难点;采取有效的预警和预控对策。     

我国危险化学品产业转移及安全风险分析*

为深入分析我国国内（不含港澳台,下同）危险化学品产业转移及安全风险,通过调研产业转移现状,统计典型地区产业政策、转移企业数量、转移时间及安全生产形势,分析产业转移带来的安全风险。研究结果表明:危险化学品产业转移呈现明显地域趋势,从以江苏、浙江为主的东部沿海地区向中西部等地区转移;转移时间集中在2个阶段,分别是:2002—2008年、2017—2020年;转移集中在精细化工、炼焦、煤化工等产业,医药等高端产业未发生转移;危险化学品产业转移安全风险主要表现在:“重经济,轻安全”现象突出、转移项目安全风险高、承接地基础薄弱、人才储备不足等方面;针对呈现的产业转移安全风险,提出相关对策措施及建议。研究结果可为我国危险化学品产业转移安全风险管控政策措施制定提供相关数据与理论支撑。     

Loss prevention in the petrochemical and chemical-process high-tech industries in Taiwan

Industrial safety has noticeably improved in recent years in Taiwan. Despite these improvements, however, serious accidents including explosions, chemical releases, and fires have still occurred in companies such as the Fu Guo Chemical Company (2001), Sin Hun Chemical Company (2005), Motech Industries, Inc. (2005) and Nanpao Resin Co. (2010). These accidents resulted in great loss of life and property, and further caused demands for improvement. Chemical disasters usually result from the combination of several mistakes or gross carelessness and are seldom caused by a single episode. To ensure the safety of operating, handling and storing chemicals, as well as to prevent chemical disasters, one must take many critical points into account, such as techniques, manufacturing processes, operators, chemicals, and emergency response. In Taiwan, the hazards and risks of high-tech companies are higher than in other industrial sectors. Therefore, a variety of safety management methods and regulations appropriate for high-tech companies have been generated. We studied the current status of the indigenous loss prevention protocols based on the safety management of petrochemical and chemical-process high-tech industries in Taiwan.     

冬瓜山铜矿安全生产事故统计分析及改进措施

为查找冬瓜山铜矿安全生产事故规律,提出有效的改进措施,预防和减少事故发生,运用三维预防安全管理体系研究成果,对冬瓜山铜矿2003~2013年的安全生产事故,按照严重程度、伤残等级、事故类型等分别进行统计与分析,查找事故发生规律。统计表明,冬瓜山铜矿死亡事故按类别主要以车辆伤害和中毒窒息死亡为多,其次是片帮冒顶;从原因分析看,排在第一的是事故隐患,其次是管理缺陷和违章。针对事故发生的原因,提出了一系列的改进措施,目前这些改进措施已经逐步在冬瓜铜矿得到落实,取得了明显的效果,2012年以来,事故率明显下降,员工安全意识和安全操作技能一定程度得到提高,矿山安全管理环境得到显著改善。     

Korean experience of process safety management (PSM) regulation for chemical industry

From the 1960s, Korean industries have been encouraged by the government to nurture heavy and chemical industry and to modernize the economics and industrial structures. The development of chemical industry particularly became the turning point in industrial development, and played a major role in the construction of a new industrialized country. However, the process systems in the chemical industry have become more complex and larger, and the inventories of dangerous chemicals that are produced or consumed have continuously increased. Therefore, the hazards from potential accidents such as fire and explosion or release of toxic chemicals have also increased. In fact, from the end of 1980s to the beginning of 1990s in Korea, a number of major industrial accidents such as ABS extruder explosion, TDI release and dryer explosion, etc. Occurred and caused many fatalities. As the chemical companies recognized the importance of preventing major hazards, PSM system, the prevention of major industrial accidents, was introduced in January 1995 by amending Industrial Safety and Health Act, and it has been enforced from January 1, 1996. According to the law, the business owner of a workplace with hazardous or dangerous equipment shall submit a process safety report to the Government to prevent any accidents, which could inflict an immediate damage on workers or on areas in the vicinity of the workplaces. As a result of PSM implementation for 19 years, chemical accident prevention system has been stabilized and various kinds of effectiveness and desirable customer satisfaction have been made.     

危险化学品事故后果计算过程探讨

基于事故后果的风险评估方法是国内外进行安全评价和土地使用安全规划的基础方法之一。本文基于危险化学品种类和危险装置类型,对可能发生的事故情景和相应事故后果计算模型的选择方法进行了阐述,针对易燃、易爆、有毒危险化学品的事故后果计算过程进行了系统分析。最后对本文提出的事故后果分析方法进行了实例应用。本文的研究成果可为安全评价或土地使用安全规划等工作的开展提供必要的参考。     

Fatal accidents in nighttime vs. daytime highway construction work zones

INTRODUCTION: Awareness about worker safety in nighttime construction has been a major concern because it is believed that nighttime construction creates hazardous work conditions. However, only a few studies provide valuable comparative information about accident characteristics of nighttime and daytime highway construction activities. METHOD: This study investigates fatal accidents that occurred in Illinois highway work zones in the period 1996-2001 in order to determine the safety differences between nighttime and daytime highway construction. The lighting and weather conditions were included into the study as control parameters to see their effects on the frequency of fatal accidents occurring in work zones. RESULTS: According to this study, there is evidence that nighttime construction is more hazardous than daytime construction. The inclusion of a weather parameter into the analysis has limited effect on this finding. IMPACT ON INDUSTRY: The study justifies establishing an efficient work zone accident reporting system and taking all necessary measures to enhance safety in nighttime work zones.     

风电行业安全生产风险特征与对策

系统检索了2000至2012年年底风电行业事故情况,从事故总数、死亡人数及事故类型展开分析。结果表明,风电行业风险具有自身特征,事故一直呈现上升趋势,其中叶片损坏、火灾、结构毁损、抛冰、交通运输、环境破坏等事故比较突出,对从业人员和公众构成威胁。我国风电行业正处于快速扩张期,内在风险较高,需引起行业主管部门和企业的高度重视,开展全产业链系统安全研究和管理手段创建,开发本质安全型工艺和设备,强化施工及运营安全管理。分析结果对指导风电行业安全管理决策和提升企业安全管理水平具有现实意义。     

Development of a loading dock safety evaluation tool

INTRODUCTION: Companies that use forklifts to load and unload trucks at loading docks are well aware of the main danger associated with this type of activity (i.e., the possibility of the forklift falling or tipping over when the truck suddenly moves away from the dock). Even if various truck restraint measures can be implemented to reduce the possibility of this type of accident, a number of hazardous incidents that result in a forklift tipping over from a loading dock still do occur regularly in day-to-day activities. This situation has brought experts to examine and evaluate the effectiveness of different measures and systems depending on the context in which they are used. METHODS: The present study touched upon both the technical and the organizational aspects of the restraint measures that could have an impact on safety. Certain elements were examined very closely, especially the failure of mechanical devices and their relation to the environment in which they are used, as well as the systemic interaction between people and the various restraint measures in use in a given context. CONCLUSION: This article presents a safety evaluation tool regarding restraint measures or systems for trucks docked at loading platforms - a tool that, of course, would take into consideration both the specific contextual aspects related to the docking bay itself, and to the plant. IMPACT ON INDUSTRY: This tool is designed to help companies choose the optimal safety measures to implement, while remaining realistic in terms of the technical and economic aspects of any given situation.     

A review of hazards associated with primary lithium and lithium-ion batteries

Primary lithium batteries contain hazardous materials such as lithium metal and flammable solvents, which can lead to exothermic activity and runaway reactions above a defined temperature. Lithium-ion batteries operating outside the safe envelope can also lead to formation of lithium metal and thermal runaway. Despite protection by battery safety mechanisms, fires originating from primary lithium and lithium-ion batteries are a relatively frequent occurrence.This paper reviews the hazards associated with primary lithium and lithium-ion cells, with an emphasis on the role played by chemistry at individual cell level. Safety mechanisms to prevent the occurrence and limit the consequences of incidents are reviewed, together with safety tests to monitor compliance with battery safety regulations and standards. Incident information from news accounts and open literature sources are reviewed to extract causal information.It is concluded that the potential severity of incidents during storage, transport and recycling of waste batteries can be significantly higher than in end-use applications. Safe storage, packaging and labelling practices, as well as communication among the parties involved, are essential to ensure safety across the battery lifecycle. It is recommended that a database of lithium battery incidents would be valuable to improve the evidence base for informing accident prevention measures.     

A preliminary explore to the forced ventilation on the toxic gas release/dispersion and the hazard mitigation within a petrochemical plant

More than thirty-five years ago, the Bhopal disaster shook the whole world and investigators found out that many people survived just because they turned on the fans in their bedrooms. It was postulated that the forced ventilation played an important role in diluting the toxic gas and saved these people. In order to provide evidence to solve this old mystery, this research employed FLACS software to assess the hazardous degree of a toxic gas (hydrogen sulfide) leakage within a petrochemical process. Series of gas dispersion simulations were performed to actualize the hazardous characteristics and the corresponding risks of the release accident. The study shows that the hazardous level and the hazard range can be greatly influenced when parameters, such as the gas leakage circumstances (atmospheric conditions and wind speed) and the mitigation measures (direction of fans and their speed) are altered.By using explosion-proof fans in different positions and ventilation directions, combined with the natural wind in a certain direction, this research attempts to detect the best combination from various mitigation designs and to compare the influence of fan directions on hazard mitigation. It is also the first time of its kind to simulate the effect of forced ventilation on hazard mitigation within a process plant. The results show that the hazardous level of a toxic release can be effectively alleviated, when the direction of the mechanical ventilation is against the natural wind direction. With the help of the CFD simulation and the quantitative risk analysis technique, different loss prevention strategies can be tested via this method in order to establish a safer working environment.     

Measuring mining safety with injury statistics: lost workdays as indicators of risk

PROBLEM: Mining in the United States remains one of the most hazardous industries, despite significant reductions in fatal injury rates over the last century. Coal mine fatality rates, for example, have dropped almost a thousand-fold since their peak in 1908. While incidence rates are very important indicators, lost worktime measures offer an alternative metric for evaluating job safety and health performance. The first objective of this study examined the distributions and summary statistics of all injuries reported to the Mine Safety and Health Administration from 1983 through 2004. Over the period studied (1983-2004), there were 31,515,368 lost workdays associated with mining injuries, for an equivalent of 5,700 person-years lost annually. The second objective addressed the problem of comparing safety program performance in mines for situations where denominator data were lacking. By examining the consequences of injuries, comparisons can be made between disparate operations without the need for denominators. Total risk in the form of lost workday sums can help to distinguish between lower- and higher-risk operations or time periods. METHOD: Our method was to use a beta distribution to model the losses and to compare underground coal mining to underground metal/nonmetal mining from 2000 to 2004. RESULTS: Our results showed the probability of an injury having 10 or more lost workdays was 0.52 for coal mine cases versus 0.35 for metal/nonmetal mine cases. In addition, a comparison of injuries involving continuous mining machines over 2001-2002 versus 2003-2004 showed that the ratio of average losses in the later period to those in the earlier period was approximately 1.08, suggesting increasing risks for such operations. DISCUSSION: This denominator-free safety measure will help the mining industry more effectively identify higher-risk operations and more realistically evaluate their safety improvement programs. IMPACT ON INDUSTRY: Attention to a variety of metrics concerning the performance of a job safety and health program will enhance industry's ability to manage these programs and reduce risk.