Route evaluation for hazmat transportation based on total risk - A case of Indian State Highways

Risk-based hazmat transportation route evaluation involves risk calculations taking into consideration the probability of collision related accident occurrence and detailed consequence analysis of various event scenarios. Probabilistic hazmat transportation risk assessment mainly depends on three important factors i.e. accident rate, Average Daily Traffic and population density besides route length which has a definite bearing on it. An effort has been made to estimate the route segment specific (location-specific) accident rate instead of aggregate National or State average values in order to bring specificity into the issue of decision making to avoid routes with higher accident rates. Instead of using default accident rate for different highway types developed with the US data, which are not well-comparable when used in Indian situations; the author used site-specific truck accident data. Subsequently, Loss of Containment (LOC) probabilities and spillage probabilities for different route segments have been computed and compared. Finally, route segment-wise total risk is estimated which is a convenient measure of the average number of persons likely to be exposed from all the possible consequence event scenarios resulting from releases of different hazmats being transported along the studied routes. The present study highlights the route evaluation carried out based on total risk computation, without going through detailed event based consequence analysis on two State Highway routes and one major urban road passing through important industrial corridors of Surat District in western India, to enable routing decisions by local authorities and also for planning emergency mitigation purposes.     

A societal risk study for transportation of class-3 hazmats – A case of Indian state highways

United Nations Class-3 hazardous materials (hazmats) are basically liquid products and transported in road tankers under ambient temperature and atmospheric pressure. They are mostly flammables and some of them are toxic (e.g. benzene) as well. The spillages due to collision related incidents involving the road tankers, carrying such hazmats through highways, pose not only flammability hazards due to pool fire, flash fire and vapor cloud explosion (VCE), but create substantial toxic hazards also. The paper presents the risk-based study of route evaluation of two state highways and one urban city road in western India on account of transportation of class-3 hazmats, namely benzene, toluene, p-xylene, methanol, cyclohexane and acetone. A comparative evaluation of study routes was undertaken based on their societal risks presented in terms of F–N curves and assessed against HSE, UK as well as VROM, The Netherlands risk acceptance criteria. Societal risks contribution of cyclohexane to the overall flammability risk mainly VCE is found to be the highest followed by acetone and benzene compared to other study hazmats. This is due to highly explosive nature of cyclohexane resulting into vapor cloud explosion. While acetone and methanol pool fires are likely to cause larger area of damage compared to others, benzene supersedes others as far as toxicity risk is concerned and larger evacuation area is encountered, as it poses greater Immediately Dangerous to Life or Health (IDLH) distance than others. Besides, study of initial isolation distance following an accident in case of benzene tanker found that benzene spillage requires larger initial isolation distance than others and so are the day and night protective action zone distances.     

危险品道路运输风险评价与优化选线的研究进展

危险品道路运输的风险评价与优化选线是对其进行安全管理与科学化决策的基础和重要依据,也是减少危险品运输事故概率与降低运输沿线影响人员风险的重要措施.通过对国内外危险品道路运输风险评价与优化选线研究以及相关技术与软件的发展状况进行详细评述,总结了常用的风险评价模型、选线标准以及优化选线方法,并给出了一些国家的个人风险和单位运输距离(通常为1 km)社会风险的可接受标准.最后,对我国的危险品道路运输安全管理提出了对策与建议.     

Class-2 hazmat transportation consequence assessment on surrounding population

The transportation of hazardous materials by road is an utmost necessity of the world for the societal benefits, but at the same time the activity is inherently dangerous. Incidents involving hazardous material (hazmat) cargo particularly the class-2 materials can lead to severe consequences in terms of fatalities, injuries, evacuation, property damage and environmental degradation. The rationale behind considering class-2 hazmats is that they pose the greatest danger to the people and property along the transport route because of their storage condition on the transport vessel. They are stored either in pressurized vessels or in cryogenic containers. Any external impact due to collision may cause catastrophic failure of transport vessels, known as BLEVE (Boiling Liquid Expanding Vapour Explosion) with devastating consequences. Further, any continuous release from containment may cause what is known as ‘Unconfined Vapour Cloud Explosion’ (UVCE). Historically frequency of BLEVE occurrence is of the order of 1 × 10⁻⁶ per year or less, but other release scenarios e.g. a large vapour or liquid leaks are more probable and could also have devastating effects on the surrounding population. As such, the paper discussed various event scenarios and the consequences taking examples of a class-2.1 material (1,3 butadiene) and another class-2.3 (ammonia) hazmat. Comparative analysis suggests that per ton basis a rupture of ammonia tanker gives rise to larger impact areas and poses larger lethality risks compared to 1,3 butadiene as far as toxic effects are concerned. Besides, from fireball fatality on similar basis propylene causes higher consequence distance than LPG followed by ethylene oxide and 1,3 butadiene. The impact zone study results may be utilized as inputs for identifying the potential vulnerable area on a GIS enabled map, along a designated State highway route passing through an important industrial corridor in western India.     

Multi-criteria decision-making considering risk and uncertainty in physical asset management

In this work we present a method for risk-informed decision-making in the physical asset management context whereby risk evaluation and cost-benefit analysis are considered in a common framework. The methodology uses quantitative risk measures to prioritize projects based on a combination of risk tolerance criteria, cost-benefit analysis and uncertainty reduction metrics. There is a need in the risk and asset management literature for a unified framework through which quantitative risk can be evaluated against tolerability criteria and trade-off decisions can be made between risk treatment options. The methodology uses quantitative risk measures for loss of life, loss of production and loss of property. A risk matrix is used to classify risk as intolerable, As Low As Reasonably Practicable (ALARP) or broadly tolerable. Risks in the intolerable and ALARP region require risk treatment, and risk treatment options are generated. Risk reduction benefit of the treatment options is quantified, and cost-benefit analysis is performed using discounted cashflow analysis. The Analytic Hierarchy Process is used to derive weights for prioritization criteria based on decision-maker preferences. The weights, along with prioritization criteria for risk reduction, tolerance criteria and project cost, are used to prioritize projects using the Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution. The usefulness of the methodology for improved decision-making is illustrated using a numerical example.     

Applying HAZAN methodology to hazmat transportation risk assessment

As conceptualized and put forward by Kletz, avoiding hazard at first instance is always desirable than trying to protect or manage it. However, there could be certain hazards which may not be possible to be totally eliminated and thus shall be analyzed and assessed in order to either reduce the probability of occurrence or limit the severity of consequences. Trevor's methodologies on HAZOP and hazard analysis (HAZAN) for process hazards are quite straightforward where the hazard is considered as a point source unlike hazmat transportation which is a moving source of hazard. The authors applied the HAZAN techniques to the transportation risk assessment of three different United Nations classes of hazardous materials (hazmats) through important industrial corridors of Surat district in western India that helped local authorities not only to decide on the minimum risk routes to regulate hazmat traffic but also to prepare an effective evacuation and emergency response strategies.     

Shelter-in-place risk assessment for high-pressure natural gas wells with hydrogen sulphide and its application in emergency management

This paper provides a risk assessment method of sheltering in-place for high-pressure natural gas wells with hydrogen sulphide. In this paper, the shelter-in-place risk is estimated by integrating the health consequences of an individual taking one kind of emergency response to the emergency orders of sheltering in place from the emergency decision makers and the probability of the corresponding emergency response action. The probability of the corresponding emergency response action in the proposed method is estimated through the accident probability analysis and the probability analysis of taking a certain response action. The health consequence estimation is based on air exchange rate test of the shelter buildings as well as accident consequence calculation. The evaluation of shelter-in-place risks based on “as low as reasonably practicable (ALARP)” guidelines was employed to provide suggestions for emergency management under both normal conditions and off normal conditions. A case study of risk assessment of sheltering in the local residential houses in Xuanhan County of Sichuan Province, China was taken as an example to illustrate the proposed risk assessment process of shelter-in-place and its application in the decision-making process for emergency management.     

大坝安全评价的可接受风险研究与评述

评述了国内外安全领域可接受风险研究的历史和现状.根据事故后果对风险进行分类,对不同类型风险给出风险定量表示方法,针对不同的风险定量表示方法,应用F-N曲线和ALARP准则研究相应的可接受风险确定方法,并就其在大坝安全风险评价领域的应用进行探讨.     

易燃易爆危险品道路运输火灾事故应急区域的确定方法

从消防监管的角度给出了道路运输易燃易爆危险品的火灾危险性分级标准,分析了典型泄漏事故后果场景和常见的泄漏规模类型.介绍了美国消防协会NFPA471、应急响应手册ERG2008危险品运输事故初期区域的确定方法,并提出了基于影响半径的危险品道路运输火灾事故现场应急区域和人员疏散范围的确定方法.提出对于易燃易爆危险品道路运输事故应急区域的确定,在初期可优先采用ERG 2008提供的初期隔离距离与防护距离进行先期处置,然后根据运输危险品的类型、运输量和影响区人员总数进行定量评估分析,以确定适当的应急区域范围.依据运输道路场所环境和事故场景特点,快速而合理的确定事故应急隔离区和疏散区,可较科学地应对突发性灾难事故,采取快速应急响应措施,优化消防警力配备.该文研究提出的方法和研究结论,可为危险品道路运输消防应急力量优化调度,现场指挥员采取有效措施开展抢险救援行动提供技术支持,有利于现场事故应急处置和人员快速安全疏散.     

危险品道路安全运输路径优化方法探讨

危险品道路运输量逐年增加,对人类安全健康的危害的风险正在扩大和加深,一旦发生事故,其后果极为严重。笔者从人-机-环境角度分析了危险品道路运输系统的组成要素,基于对运输网、运输风险源、后果影响区域3个层次辨识,分析运输过程中的风险影响因素,提出危险品道路运输路径优化选择的一般方法;并给出危险品道路运输线风险源的可接受个人风险和社会风险标准;探讨了危险品运输约束最优化选线模型。路径优化选择可减少运输沿线影响人员风险和事故概率,优化影响人员风险与运输效率冲突问题,为政府监管部门与危险品运输企业提供了安全管理的基本决策依据。     

A transportation network assessment tool for hazardous material cargo routing: Weighing exposure health risks,proximity to vulnerable areas,delay costs and trucking expenses

The inherent risks associated with accidental releases of hazardous materials during transport have drawn attention and concerns in the recent decades. The aim of this study is to propose a tool for evaluation and comparison of the transportation networks which can be used to assess the routing options between origins and destinations of the cargos for their suitability for transporting hazardous material cargos by tanker trucks and to identify routes which provide lower accidental release risks, lower public exposure risks, and offer economical benefits. Each route segment of transportation networks were evaluated using specific criteria which included health risk and cost of delay in case of an accidental release of materials, trucking cost and proximity to vulnerable areas. Since, the health impact of hazardous materials differ depending on the characteristics of the material being transported as well as release quantities and atmospheric conditions; this paper aimed in providing a tool that can be used to estimate the impact radius (for health risks) after accidental release of hazardous materials by taking into account different atmospheric conditions based on the meteorological data and solar elevation angle. The Gaussian air dispersion model paired with ArcGIS using Python programming were employed to estimate the health risk impact zones by considering the meteorological data, and accordingly to analyze road segments for cost impacts (delay and trucking costs), and the proximity to vulnerable areas. The route assessment tool was demonstrated with a case study. The results of this study can efficiently aid decision makers for transportation of hazardous materials.     

定量风险评价在炼化一体化项目中的应用

本文阐述了定量风险评价的指标、模型和一般程序,给出了定量风险评价的标准,采用定量风险评价的方法对某企业规划建设的炼化一体化项目进行个人风险和社会风险水平计算。个人风险计算结果表明,该炼化一体化项目所在厂区内没有出现1×10-3的风险等值线,1×10-4、1×10-5和1×10-6的风险等值线也没有超出厂区边界,说明该炼化一体化项目厂区内部和周边人员所面临的个人风险是可以接受的。社会风险计算结果表明,该炼化一体化项目的社会风险曲线处在可容许区范围内,没有进入不可容许区和ALARP区,说明该项目的社会风险也是可以接受的。本文采用的定量风险评价方法可为规划或已建炼化一体化项目进行风险水平评估提供必要的参考依据。     

Risk perception by offshore workers on UK oil and gas platforms

This paper reports the first investigation of risk perception by workers on offshore oil and gas installations on the UK Continental Shelf, following changes in offshore safety legislation in the wake of the Piper Alpha disaster in 1988. The Offshore Safety Case regulations (Health and Safety Executive, 1992, A Guide to the Offshore Installations (Safety Case) Regulations) put the onus on the operator to identify the major hazards and to reduce the risks to As Low As is Reasonably Practicable (ALARP). The regulations specifically state that Quantitative Risk Assessments (QRA) must be used when preparing the Safety Case. However, people do not use QRA when making everyday judgements about risk; they make subjective judgements known as risk perceptions, which are influenced by a number of different factors. This study was designed to complement the extensive QRA calculations that have already been carried out in the development of Safety Cases. The aim was to measure subjective risk perception in offshore personnel and examine how this relates to the more objective risk data available, namely accident records and QRA calculations. This paper describes the Offshore Risk Perception Questionnaire developed to collect the data and reports on UK offshore workers' perceptions of the risks associated with major and minor hazards, work tasks and other activities aboard production platforms.     

风险评价标准值初探

提出了风险指标和ALARP原则的含义,从风险评价的ALARP原则出发,得出个人风险评价标准值和社会风险评价标准值的制定方法。     

Occupational chemical exposure and risk estimation in process development and design

Each year more people die from diseases caused by work than are killed in industrial accidents. Therefore, methods are needed to evaluate occupational health hazards as early as possible when the process is still under development. A method for estimating inhalative exposures and risks in petrochemical and related plants is presented. The method is simple and suffices with the limited data availability during the early design stages.The steps of the method, which utilizes preliminary process flow diagrams are as follows: first the fugitive emissions and process plot areas are estimated based on precalculated process modules representing the typical process sections (such as a distillation unit). Chemical concentration in the air is then calculated based on the wind velocity probability and the estimated process cross-sectional area. For this purpose a typical wind velocity distribution in the area is used. The worker risk of exposure to chemicals is evaluated either based on the concentration in air by using the hazard quotient method or calculating the carcinogenic chemicals intake and the resulting risk of cancer. The values are compared to the benchmarks.As a result the process route health characteristics such as fugitive emissions rate, critical wind speed, chemical concentration in air and intake amount as well as the corresponding risk of exposure are produced. By using statistical meteorological data, health risks of occupational exposure can be estimated more realistically as probabilities. The approach is capable of comparing alternative processes to select the concept which is inherently occupationally healthier. Using this method, the exposure problems of a process can be identified earlier and proper decisions can be made early in process development or predesign stage.The concentration-based method is demonstrated by a case study of six competing manufacturing routes for methyl methacrylate (MMA). The C3 is found to be the most harmful alternative to health. Both concentration-based and intake-based methods are applied. The study indicates that the intake-based risk estimation benchmark is stricter than the exposure limit-based benchmark for carcinogens.     

Quantitative risk analysis of urban natural gas pipeline networks using geographical information systems

This paper presents a novel quantitative risk analysis process for urban natural gas pipeline networks using geographical information systems (GIS). The process incorporates an assessment of failure rates of integrated pipeline networks, a quantitative analysis model of accident consequences, and assessments of individual and societal risks. Firstly, the failure rates of the pipeline network are calculated using empirical formulas influenced by parameters such as external interference, corrosion, construction defects, and ground movements. Secondly, the impacts of accidents due to gas leakage, diffusion, fires, and explosions are analyzed by calculating the area influenced by poisoning, burns, and deaths. Lastly, based on the previous analyses, individual risks and social risks are calculated. The application of GIS technology helps strengthen the quantitative risk analysis (QRA) model and allows construction of a QRA system for urban gas pipeline networks that can aid pipeline management staff in demarcating high risk areas requiring more frequent inspections.     

工程项目施工安全保证的投入效率分析

利用ALARP原则构建工程项目施工风险可容忍区域,对处于不可容忍区域的安全事故,采取安全投入措施使之进入可容忍区域;对处于可容忍区域的安全事故,进行安全投入效益分析,以确定最佳安全投入额。采用事故树分析法探究事故与事故发生原因之间的内在逻辑关系,并探讨安全投入与事故发生概率的函数关系。在此基础上,构建安全投入优化分配模型,结合历史统计数据,利用Lingo软件对模型进行计算求解。     

重大危险源企业与属地政府“一对一”应急预案编制研究

目前的企业应急预案与政府应急预案缺乏有效的衔接,重大事故发生时企业周边公众因不能及时疏散而造成严重伤亡,“一对一”预案的目标是在科学分析事故风险的基础上充分发挥属地政府在应急救援中的重要作用。对“一对一”应急预案的编制重点进行了分析研究,提出了编制框架和技术要求,并以某厂液氯液氨库房为例,通过事故后果、个人风险的定量计算,结合厂周边边环境情况规划了事故后的疏散范围、当地街道（地区）办事处的疏散工作片区划分及避难路线。“一对一”预案的编制有助于增强重大危险源企业与属地政府的应急联动,减少事故伤亡。     

建筑火灾风险评估研究

目前,建筑火灾风险评估常用方法有基于模糊数学的模糊综合评判法和基于性能化设计的性能化评估方法.在前人研究的基础上,利用系统原理,把建筑作为一个由若干相对独立的空间区域组成的系统,通过评估各个区域的火灾风险来确定整个建筑的火灾风险.该方法的优点是便于防火设计和管理人员确定重点防火区域,通过降低重点区域的火灾风险,来降低整个建筑的火灾风险.     

Inherent occupational health assessment during process research and development stage

Occupational health studies the interaction of work and health, especially the long-term effect of chemicals to health. In this paper an Inherent Occupational Health Index has been developed for assessing the health risks of process routes during process research and development stage. The method takes into account both the hazard from the chemicals present and the potential for the exposure of workers to the chemicals. The index can be used either for determining the level of inherent occupational health hazards or comparing alternative process routes for these risks. The method is tailored for the process research and development stage by including only such properties of chemicals and operating conditions of process, which are available already in this early stage. In the end of this paper the approach is demonstrated by comparing the inherent occupational healthiness of six methyl methacrylate process routes using three different types of index calculations; additive-type, average-type, and worst case-type. The study discloses that the average- and worst case-based approaches analyze the characteristics of a route better than the additive calculation, which is greatly affected by the number of steps in the route. A quantitative standard scale for the index is also developed to allow health level assessment of a single process.