The implementation of the SEVESO II legislation in the Polish major hazard industry

The paper presents the implementation of the SEVESO II Directive in Poland. Particularly, a systematic approach to the realization of MAPP, Safety Report and Emergency Plan is shown. It takes into account the real technical and organizational standards of the Polish major hazard industry as well. The impact of the implementation of SEVESO II Legislation on safety performance changes in particular major hazard companies was assessed using the questionnaires method of data collection. The fundamental question of that survey was: did that exercise improve safety performance or was it just a ‘paper work’? The majority of survey reported more positive than negative comments. The conclusions were drawn and some suggestions were made to improve major accident control in Poland.     

Quantitative risk assessment of the Italian gas distribution network

European Critical Infrastructures include physical resources, services, information technology facilities, networks and infrastructure assets, which, if disrupted or destroyed would have a serious impact on the health, safety, security, economic or social well-being of the Member States.The gas distribution network is a critical infrastructure and its failure can cause damage to structures and injury to people.The aim of this paper is to analyze and then assess the risk of the Italian high pressure natural gas distribution network.The paper describes an application of a methodology for quantitative risk assessment.Failure frequencies considered in risk calculation were found in the European Gas pipeline Incident data Group (EGIG) database, whereas consequences were computed as a function of pipe diameter and operating pressure for each section of the network. The results of this quantitative risk assessment is the determination of local and social risks for the Italian North East Area.     

Optimization of recertification intervals for PSV based on major accident risk

Overpressure is a major hazard in the process industry with the potential to lead to a major accident. Pressure Safety Valves (PSVs) are often used as the last layer of protection against such a hazard and require regular recertification in order to be dependable. The valve safely vents gas from a vessel when the pressure becomes excessive. It is often the practice in industry to apply one or two years as the normal recertification interval of PSV. However, experience from the Norwegian oil and gas industry is that the recertification process several times have caused leaks of gas. The process thus represents a certain risk in itself and the question is then whether the recertification intervals presently being used actually are optimal from a risk point of view? The objective of this paper is to look into this problem, applying typical data from an oil and gas installation. An optimal recertification interval will be calculated based on minimization of risk to personnel.     

Development of algorithms for predicting ignition probabilities and explosion frequencies

A project was performed for the Explosion Research Cooperative to develop algorithms for predicting the frequencies of explosions based on a variety of design, operating and environmental conditions. Algorithms were developed for estimating unit-based explosion frequencies, such as those reported in API Recommended Practice 752, but in more detail and covering a much broader range of chemical process types. The project also developed methods for predicting scenario-based explosion frequencies, using frequencies of initiating events and conditional probabilities of immediate ignition and delayed ignition resulting in explosion. The algorithms were based on a combination of published data and expert opinion.     

Quantitative risk assessment: How realistic are those frequency assumptions?

Although much has changed in recent decades in how the consequences are treated in risk assessment of major industrial accidents, estimation of frequencies still appears to be largely based on values from several decades ago. This paper reviews briefly some of the implications of this, drawing on lessons not only from the process industries but also from other not so obviously relevant fields such as aerospace and finance, where the significance of such factors such as organizational culture, normalization of deviance, ownership, demographic change, etc. is becoming increasingly recognized in the analysis and hence the control of risk.Failure to consider such factors and their effects can pose a problem, because risk assessment is not simply an abstract concept but can have a real influence on the level of risk. If protective measures such as the safety culture of the site, etc. can be shown to significantly change the risk zone, this can persuade the risk generator to improve those factors or take other steps to reduce the risk such as reducing the inventory in the process. Conversely, assessments conducted for well-run companies may misrepresent the risk if the site ownership changes to a financial holding company with a focus on maximizing short-term profit and resale of the assets, and it can be difficult even for well-motivated management to justify protective measures if they produce no apparent difference in the risk.This paper introduces these and other issues for consideration in the symposium which follows.     

易燃易爆重大危险源事故概率计算

分有人介入和无人介入重大危险源监测系统两种情况，运用马尔可夫过程研究了重大危险源发生事故的概率，并进行了实例计算。所给概率模型可用于重大危险源的安全评价。【关键词】##4易燃易爆重大危险源;;马尔可夫过程;;安全评价;;事故概率计算;;安全监测系统     

Risk evaluation in Dutch land-use planning

In Dutch external safety policy, the acceptance of risk for the population in areas surrounding hazardous substances establishments is based on a limit value for individual risk (IR). Additionally, changes to societal risk (SR) must be justified. A specific software program (SAFETI-NL) with the associated Reference Manual Bevi Risk Assessments (RIVM, 2009) is legally required for the calculation of IR and SR. This prescribed “Bevi calculation method” forms the basis for decisions with important consequences for industry, land use planning and the protection of citizens. It is important that the outcome of calculations made with the prescribed method can be relied upon when making decisions about land use planning that affects both industry and population. This is the subject of this paper.The prescribed calculation method has been evaluated by performing a case study. The evaluation focussed on risk modelling of a Boiling Liquid Expanding Vapour Explosion (BLEVE) at an LPG filling station, an incident type that plays a significant role in Dutch external safety. The risk modelling of the BLEVE with the prescribed calculation method was found to have a number of serious deficiencies. It is concluded that the prescribed calculation method yields no reliable perspective on the safety of production, use and storage of hazardous substances, nor of possibilities to increase safety.Decision making should not only depend on quantification of IR and SR. Improving the safety-relevance of the prescribed calculation method requires an increase of the number of dimensions of the outcome of risk calculations in order to make feedback possible. It is recommended to incorporate additional, safety-relevant information into planning and decision-making processes. It is envisaged that a more far-reaching change of Dutch QRA practice is needed (medium to long term). In this context, a number of interesting elements have been noticed in decision-making procedures in other EU Member States.     

北京市燃气事故风险评估与控制对策

对北京市近年来的燃气状况进行了分析,从燃气系统存在的风险源出发,找出了北京市燃气系统存在的风险以及衍生和次生灾害;运用系统安全分析的＂人-机-环-管＂理论,考虑了燃气设施及管理的风险承受力和控制力,找出了影响燃气突发事件风险发生的可能性因素和后果严重性因素,从而建立了风险可能性和后果严重性的指标体系;利用风险矩阵从多角度对城八区天然气管网系统进行风险评估,确定风险等级,提出了防止燃气事故发生的安全防范措施,以增强北京燃气设施的安全稳定运行。     

Overcoming the blame game to learn from major accidents: A systemic analysis of an Anhydrous Ammonia leakage accident

This article aims to demonstrate the need for changing the methods with which accidents are analyzed, if we truly wish to use what we uncover from them to learn and enrich our knowledge base of organizational management. The goal is to relinquish the broadly adopted and rather simplistic paradigm that accepts the search for human error and unsafe acts performed by workers, and produces “guilt diagnostics”. Instead, we use a systemic accident analysis methodology, based on the sociotechnical principle of understanding the real operating conditions in which accidents take place. In order to demonstrate the benefits of the theoretical framework, we compare the analyses of an Anhydrous Ammonia gas leakage accident in a fish processing plant using the traditional accident analysis model based on unsafe acts and the proposed systemic approach. The results favor the latter since it tends to be more reliable and offering useful recommendations to safety management processes, thus helping to prevent accidents, especially in complex systems.     

Adversarial safety analysis: borrowing the methods of security vulnerability assessments

INTRODUCTION: Safety and security share numerous attributes. The author, who heads the (Security) Vulnerability Assessment Team at Los Alamos National Laboratory, therefore argues that techniques used to optimize security might be useful for optimizing safety. OPTIMIZING SECURITY: There are three main ways to attempt to improve security-security surveys, risk assessment (or "design basis threat"), and vulnerability assessments. The latter is usually the most effective. SAFETY ANALOGS: Vulnerability assessment techniques used to improve security can be applied to safety analysis--even though safety is not ordinarily viewed as having malicious adversaries (other than hazards involving deliberate sabotage). Thinking like a malicious adversary can nevertheless have benefits in identifying safety vulnerabilities. SUGGESTIONS: The attributes of an effective safety vulnerability assessment are discussed, and recommendations are offered for how such an adversarial assessment might work. CONCLUSION: A safety vulnerability assessment can potentially provide new insights, a fresh and vivid perspective on safety hazards, and increased safety awareness.     

Economic valuation of damages originated by major accidents in port areas

Due to special features of ports – variety of activities: storage and loading/unloading of hazardous materials; circulation of ships, lorries and trains; proximity to urban zones; etc. – major accidents can be associated with severe damages. The cost of such accidents must be known to allow for compensation to people and companies. A procedure is presented to estimate the cost of damages suffered by people, equipment and environment. Criteria to assess the cost of damage to people – a controversial issue – are discussed, establishing a method to predict the number of people killed, injured and evacuated. Economic compensation is proposed. Environmental damages are also considered. These include potential damage to the atmosphere, soil, water and fauna. Estimates of the cost of the equipment and buildings affected by the accident are proposed. Finally, an assessment of the loss of profits due to activity breakdown and indirect costs is analysed. The methodology presented can easily be extended to general, inland process and storage sites.     

航空事故调查中人的因素安全建议框架研究

对航空事故中人的不安全行为进行了系统分析,将失误划分为感知失误、记忆失误、决策失误、技能失误4个类别,将违章划分为习惯性违章和偶然性违章。将人的因素干预维度确定为组织管理、人/团队、技术、任务和环境。针对不安全行为制定相应的初步改进措施后,还需从措施的可行性、可接受性、经济性和有效性4个方面进行综合评估和取舍。实证研究表明,人的因素干预矩阵是制定安全建议的有效工具,该框架具备良好的适用性。     

On the development of a new hybrid risk assessment process using occupational accidents’ data: Application on the Greek Public Electric Power Provider

The occupational accidents have a major impact upon human integrity and also bring about high costs for the social health and insurance system of a country. In addition, risk analysis is an essential process for the safety policy of a company, having as main aim the effacement of any potential of damage in a productive procedure, while the quantified risk evaluation is the most crucial part of the whole procedure of assessing hazards in the work. The main goal of this study is double: a) the development and presentation of a new hybrid risk assessment process (HRAP) and b) the application of HRAP in the Greek Public Power Corporation (PPC) (the unique electric power provider and the largest industry in Greece), by using occupational accidents that have been recorded, during the 12-year period of 1993-2004. The new process consists of four distinct phases a) the hazard sources’ identification phase, b) the risk consideration phase, c) the risk-evaluation phase, and d) the phase of the risk assessment and safety-related decision making. The results show that in some cases the risk value has been calculated in PPC to be higher than 500 (in the risk rating of 0-1000), which imposes the taking of suppressive measures for abolishing the danger source, while the fatal accident frequency rate (per 10⁸ man-hrs) is FAFR ≅ 2.4.     

HAZOP方法在对羟基苯甲醛车间火灾事故分析中的应用

对羟基苯甲醛是一种十分重要的精细化工产品,主要采用对甲苯酚催化氧化法合成。为了提高PHBA合成工艺和装置的安全性,首次采用了危险与可操作性分析法对对甲苯酚催化氧化法合成PHBA的事故案例进行分析,分析了火灾事故发生的原因,提出了相应的安全对策措施及建议。与传统的事故分析方法相比,HAZOP分析更深入、更全面,对工艺设计的改进和设备的选型具有重要指导意义。     

Implementation and evaluation of the Safety Element Method at four mining sites

The Safety Element Method (SEM) is a method for improvements of safety results and safety approaches in the Norwegian mining industry. The method is developed by users and researchers in co-operation. The main approach of the method is that a group of organisational members assesses the current and desired situation for their own organisation within defined areas. Based on this assessment they work out a strategy and action plan to reach the internal goals for desired achievement, i.e. the desired situation defined. This article presents the implementation of the method in four mining companies and evaluates the method for its construct validity, criterion validity, face validity, how the method functions and is accepted among the users. The results show that the opinions regarding the experiences with the method are, on the whole, positive. The method is regarded as a valuable approach towards safety improvements. Subjective assessments play a prominent role in SEM, but these assessments are supported by an extensive review of empirical data such as accident reports, interview results and a questionnaire. This means that the internal assessments correspond well to the safety results of the companies and also to the independent external reviews carried out by the researcher.     

Validity and consistency assessment of accident analysis methods in the petroleum industry

Background. Accident analysis is the main aspect of accident investigation. It includes the method of connecting different causes in a procedural way. Therefore, it is important to use valid and reliable methods for the investigation of different causal factors of accidents, especially the noteworthy ones. Objective. This study aimed to prominently assess the accuracy (sensitivity index [SI]) and consistency of the six most commonly used accident analysis methods in the petroleum industry. Methods. In order to evaluate the methods of accident analysis, two real case studies (process safety and personal accident) from the petroleum industry were analyzed by 10 assessors. The accuracy and consistency of these methods were then evaluated. The assessors were trained in the workshop of accident analysis methods. Results. The systematic cause analysis technique and bowtie methods gained the greatest SI scores for both personal and process safety accidents, respectively. The best average results of the consistency in a single method (based on 10 independent assessors) were in the region of 70%. Conclusion. This study confirmed that the application of methods with pre-defined causes and a logic tree could enhance the sensitivity and consistency of accident analysis.     

煤矿瓦斯事故危险源分类及其耦合作用分析

近年来,我国煤矿瓦斯事故频发,瓦斯事故的发生不仅造成了巨大的经济损失而且产生了不良的社会影响。但是煤矿瓦斯事故的发生并不是单一因素作用的结果,而是多种因素相互作用、相互影响,从而导致瓦斯事故的发生。这就要求我们对煤矿瓦斯事故危险源进行合理的分类,并在此基础上进行多危险源间的耦合作用分析。因此,具体全面的对瓦斯事故危险源进行分类且对其耦合作用进行分析,对丰富多因素相互作用理论,深入对煤矿系统的分析具有重要的理论意义。     

工艺流程中氨泄漏事故后果分类研究

氨是重要的化工原料和产品,工艺流程中氨主要以氨气、液氨、氨溶液三种状态存在。氨气、液氨、氨溶液理化特性及危险特性不同,可能造成的事故后果类型不同,分别进行三种相态下氨泄漏的事故情景分析。氨气泄漏主要考虑蒸气云爆炸、中毒,液氨泄漏主要考虑沸腾液体扩展蒸气爆炸、蒸气云爆炸、中毒,氨溶液泄漏主要考虑中毒和腐蚀。运用半球模型和高斯模型计算某尿素企业液氨球罐泄漏的危害范围。半球泄漏模型计算方法较简单,但没有考虑氨本身性质及气象条件等因素;高斯模型计算过程较复杂,其计算结果与风速、大气稳定度等条件相关。该两种方法计算结果对预防氨泄漏事故发生和氨泄漏事故预警均具有一定参考意义,如何提高模拟分析的准确度是今后研究工作的重点。