Process industry accidents in Sri Lanka: Analysis and basic lessons learnt

Accidents in the process industry could be prevented or reduced by having good safety management measures. Such preventive measures could be further improved through the experiences and lessons learnt from past accidents. Therefore, analysis results of past accidents are valuable sources of information for determining root causes and as case material to prevent and reduce the adverse consequences of accidents in the process industry.This paper looks at accidents in the process industry that have occurred in the past 10 years from 1997 to 2006 in Sri Lanka to gain an understanding of the nature and consequences of accidents. Lessons and main areas of concern to improve safety in the Sri Lanka process industry are discussed. The analysis is done for different event types based on specific operating process stage during which the accident occurred such as processing, loading and unloading, repair and maintenance and storage, the immediate effect types such as fire, explosion, chemical releases and emissions and the consequences of each accident. Fire incidents were observed in 38 accidents analyzed. The results show that the highest number of accidents has occurred during processing operations followed by accidents during maintenance and repair work. The cause analysis shows that many accidents have occurred due to technical and human failures.The accidents are then classified according to the severity of the consequences in order to compare the nature of accidents experienced in Sri Lanka with respect to accidents in other countries in the world.     

A fuzzy analytic network process for multi-criteria evaluation of contaminated site remedial countermeasures

The Analytic Network Process (ANP) has been proposed to incorporate interdependence and feedback effect in the prioritization of remedial countermeasures using a hierarchical network decision model, but this approach seems to be incapable of capturing the vagueness and fuzziness during value judgment elicitation. The aim of this paper is to present an evaluation method using a fuzzy ANP (FANP) approach to address this shortcoming. Triangular fuzzy numbers (TFN) and their degree of fuzziness are used in the semantic scale as human judgment expressed in natural language is most often vague and fuzzy. The method employs the alpha-cuts, interval arithmetic and optimism index to transform the fuzzy comparative judgment matrix into set of crisp matrices, and then calculates the desired priorities using the eigenvector method. A numerical example, which was drawn from a real-life case study of an uncontrolled landfill in Japan, is presented to demonstrate the process. Results from the sensitivity analysis describe how the fuzziness in judgment could affect the solution robustness of the prioritization method. The proposed FANP approach therefore could effectively deal with the uncertain judgment inherent in the decision making process and derive the meaningful priorities explicitly from a complex decision structure in the evaluation of contaminated site remedial countermeasures.     

基于六西格玛管理法的区域土壤环境质量改进方法论

在简要回顾土壤环境质量研究现状的基础上,分析了土壤环境质量改进的必要性,指出目前缺乏系统性的土壤环境质量管理方法论。借助六西格玛管理的DMAIC模式,探讨了其在土壤环境质量改进中的应用,提出该方法可以为土壤环境质量持续改进提供科学方法论和有效手段。     

中国固体废物管理政策变迁逻辑与完善路径

系统梳理固体废物管理政策的变迁逻辑,研究固体废物管理政策的聚焦内容和发展趋向,有助于明晰固体废物管理政策完善路径。研究立足于已颁布的固体废物管理政策,运用统计方法分析固体废物管理政策的文本结构和内容,找出中国固体废物管理政策变迁的内在逻辑;紧密结合当前“无废城市”建设的政策需求,提出政策优化完善路径。研究发现:固体废物管理政策文本类型多元、效力级别多样,政策框架体系逐步优化完善;固体废物管理政策热点具有鲜明的时代发展烙印和动态演变特征,政策涉及的领域越来越广,政策内容更具针对性和全面性,政策执行更具指向性和可操作性;无害化、减量化、资源化,污染防治、监督管理、二次污染、回收利用、循环经济等是政策关注焦点;政府从宏观层面强化顶层设计,以政策引导规范为主,注重政策协同、技术支撑、治理水平提升等助推无害化、减量化、资源化目标实现;固体废物管理政策实施的工具手段多元化、要素支撑多样化,固体废物管理的技术支撑关注度逐步提升、管理模式与治理路径已进入适应性转型。立足现实需要,固体废物管理的市场化政策与激励机制不足,适用性技术关注度不高,综合管理水平和治理能力亟待提升。结合国外“无废城市”建设的理论研究、实践行动和政策举措,从固体废物生命周期管理政策、技术范式政策、主体协同政策、引导激励政策及法律法规政策等方面提出中国“无废城市”建设的政策完善路径方向。     

Guidance to improve the effectiveness of process safety management systems in operating facilities

The Process Safety Management (PSM) systems at the operating facilities in the Oil & Gas and in Chemical manufacturing industries have matured over the years and have become, at most facilities, very robust and sophisticated. These programs are administrated by Process Safety (PS) teams at both the corporate business units and plant levels and have been effective in reducing the number and severity of PS events across the industries over the past 25 years or so. Incidents however are occurring at a regular interval and in recent times several noteworthy PS events have occurred in the United States which have brought into question the effectiveness of the PSM programs at play. These facilities have been applying their PSM programs with the expectation that the number and severity of PS events would decrease over time. The expected result has not been realized, especially in context to those facilities that have undergone the recent incidents. Current paper reviews a few publicly available PS performance reports of Oil & Gas and Chemical manufacturing industries. The authors identified a few factors at play that have led to these PS events based on their experience, literature review, and incident investigation reports. Most of the factors are intertwined with multiple PSM elements and it requires a holistic approach to address them. Each of the factors is described and the path forward is proposed to improve the effectiveness of PSM programs.     

基于分类交通冲突与微观仿真分析的城市交叉口安全诊断及改善

鉴于传统的城市交叉口交通冲突整体评价方法不能深入地分析和解决交叉口内部的交通安全问题,依据流量和相位时长关系确定分类交通冲突评价系数,计算出不同相位阶段中不同交通冲突类型(机-机、机-非、机-人)的交通冲突率和分类综合交通冲突率,从而比较和诊断交叉口内部危险性高的交通冲突类型及所在相位,并应用VISSIM仿真软件评估相应交通安全改善措施对路口交通效率的影响。以北京市光彩北路路口为对象进行实验分析,其结果表明,分类交通冲突技术与微观交通仿真分析的充分结合,可提高城市交叉口安全诊断的准确性及相应改善措施的有效性。     

Water Quality Improvement Policies: Lessons Learned from the Implementation of Proposition O in Los Angeles,California

This article evaluates the implementation of Proposition O, a stormwater cleanup measure, in Los Angeles, California. The measure was intended to create new funding to help the city comply with the Total Maximum Daily Load requirements under the federal Clean Water Act. Funding water quality objectives through a bond measure was necessary because the city had insufficient revenues to deploy new projects in its budget. The bond initiative required a supermajority vote (two-thirds of the voters), hence the public had to be convinced that such funding both was necessary and would be effective. The bond act language included project solicitation from the public, as well as multiple benefit objectives. Accordingly, nonprofit organizations mobilized to present projects that included creating new parks, using schoolyards for flood control and groundwater recharge, and replacing parking lots with permeable surfaces, among others. Yet few, if any, of these projects were retained for funding, as the city itself also had a list of priorities and higher technical expertise in justifying them as delivering water quality improvements. Our case study of the implementation of Proposition O points to the potentially different priorities for the renovation of urban infrastructure that are held by nonprofit organizations and city agencies and the importance of structuring public processes clearly so that there are no misimpressions about funding and implementation responsibilities that can lead to disillusionment with government, especially under conditions of fiscal constraints.     

Results from a national survey of Crown prosecutors and defense counsel on impaired driving in Canada: A “System Improvements” perspective

Introduction

This article summarizes the main findings from a study designed to examine the legal process in Canada as it applies to alcohol-impaired driving from the point of view of Crown prosecutors and defense counsel, and to identify evidentiary or procedural factors that may impact the legal process, the rights of the accused, and interactions of all parts in the legal process.

Method

The data in this study were collected by means of a survey that was mailed out to the population of Crown prosecutors and defense counsel in Canada. In total, 765 prosecutors and 270 defense lawyers or an estimated 33% of all Canadian prosecutors and 15% of defense lawyers completed and returned the questionnaire. The "systems improvement" paradigm was used to interpret the findings and draw conclusions. Such an approach acknowledges the importance of the context in which countermeasures are implemented and delivered and the structures or entities used to deliver countermeasures to a designated target group.

Results

Results on type of charges and breath alcohol concentration, caseload, case outcomes, case preparation time, conviction rate at trial and overall conviction rate, reasons for acquittals and time to resolve cases are described.

Discussion

The findings from this national survey suggest that there are important challenges within the criminal justice system that impede the effective and efficient processing of impaired driving cases. Some of these challenges occur as a function of practices and policies, while others occur as a function of legislation.

Impact on industry

This study illustrates that a "system improvements" approach that acknowledges the importance of all elements of the criminal justice system and the interaction between those elements, can be beneficial in overcoming the alcohol-impaired driving problem.     

Recycling contaminated soil as alternative raw material in cement facilities: Life cycle assessment

Volcanic soil can be used to remove metals from wastewaters. Once used, it is disposed in landfills. The utilization of this material in the cement industry as an alternative raw material was evaluated using life cycle assessment (LCA) methodology. This possibility has been studied from an environmental point of view in a Chilean cement facility, representative of the current operation state of art, including both technical and economic analysis. Two scenarios were compared: Scenario 1, which corresponds to the existing cement production process, and Scenario 2, which represents cement production using spent volcanic soil. With the exception of the categories of carcinogens (C) and minerals (M), the comparative results are favourable to Scenario 2, specially regarding to the category of ecotoxicity (E), mainly due to the avoided landfilling emissions of the volcanic soil. When considering the damage assessment, damage to human health (HH), ecosystem quality (EQ) and resources (R) are lower in Scenario 2. In addition, sensitivity analyses were performed to study the influence of particular parameters (i.e., transport of spent volcanic soil, CO₂ emissions from the clinkerization process and heavy metals leaching from the spent volcanic soil) on the results of the assessment. The use of alternative raw materials (in this case, spent volcanic soil), which present the advantage to be wastes from other technical systems, appear to allow the development of cement production in a more sustainable way, slightly improving the economy of the process. The spent volcanic soil can be treated with zero cost for the wastewater treatment plant with savings of 0.23€ for each tonne of clinker production. Establishing a sound management way for the spent volcanic soil could foment its possible use as mineral adsorbent in industrial wastewater treatment facilities.     

微生物群落驱动AM真菌、生物炭及联合改良沙化土壤作用潜力

沙化土壤作为土地荒漠化的重要过渡形式,实现其有效恢复对减缓土地荒漠化进程意义重大.本研究显示,丛枝菌根（arbuscular mycorrhizal,AM）真菌和生物炭已应用于沙化土壤改良过程,但二者联合对沙化土壤改良影响研究较少;此外,细菌和真菌群落在沙化土壤改良过程中的作用尚不清楚.采用温室盆栽试验的方法,分别设置对照处理（CK）、单独接种AM真菌处理（RI）、单独施加生物炭处理（BC）和二者联合改良处理（BC_RI）,研究不同改良方式对小果白刺（Nitrariasi birica Pall.）菌根侵染率、生物量、矿质营养元素（N、P、K、Ca和Mg）含量及土壤有机碳、营养元素（全N、全P和全K）、水稳性团聚体组成影响.采用高通量测序技术,考察细菌和真菌群落在沙化土壤改良过程中的作用,结合多元分析手段,探究不同改良方式改良作用机制,旨在为合理有效改良沙化土壤提供基础数据和理论依据.结果表明,接种处理（RI和BC_RI）小果白刺根系均观察到明显的菌根侵染现象,但RI和BC_RI处理间菌根侵染率无显著性差异.与CK相比,RI处理显著增加了小果白刺地上部生物量和地上部N、K、Ca和Mg含量,BC和BC_RI处理显著增加了小果白刺地上部、根部生物量及N、P、K、Ca和Mg含量;BC_RI处理与RI和BC相比,根部生物量及P、K、Ca和Mg含量显著增加.与CK相比,BC和BC_RI处理显著增加了土壤有机碳含量,RI处理使得土壤全N含量显著增加了152.54%,BC处理使得土壤全P和全K含量分别显著降低了12.5%和18.18%.各处理0.25~0.05 mm粒径土壤团聚体比例最高,BC_RI处理能够显著促进大粒径（>0.25 mm）土壤团聚体形成.与CK相比,RI和BC_RI处理显著降低细菌、真菌群落Sobs指数和Shannon指数;各处理细菌及真菌菌门组成及丰度存在显著差异性.RDA及网络分析结果显示,AM真菌、生物炭及二者联合改良方式对土壤基质环境及土壤微生物群落结构影响显著,不同改良方式下微生物分子生态网络关系发生显著变化,不同改良处理中核心物种组成具有差异性;BC和BC_RI较RI处理,网络连接密集程度更高且核心物种组成更丰富;生物炭与AM真菌联合,弱化了Rhizophagus intraradices的核心作用,并增强其他微生物（特别是细菌菌种）的核心地位.SEM结果显示,AM真菌和生物炭施用通过直接影响土壤细菌和真菌群落结构,进而实现对植物生长及土壤性质变化的影响,微生物群落结构差异（特别是微生物间的互作关系变化）是导致土壤改良效果差异的主要驱动力.综上所述,不同改良方式对沙化土壤改良效果影响具有差异性,微生物群落在土壤改良过程中具有关键影响作用,AM真菌和生物炭联合对加速沙化土壤生态恢复具有潜在优势和应用价值.