Optimal layout of chemical process using risk index approach to minimize risk to human

Abstract

Many chemical processes are constructed within very compact areas due to the limitation of resources including land and cost although many of their units are dangerous and vulnerable to accidents such as fire or explosion. There have been many researches to make chemical processes safer by modifying the layout of process to ensure the safety distance among hazardous equipment. Even the safety among units is secured, however, this situation can get worse if the process site is near residential areas or the workspace of employees is located in the site because of the risk to human, which is usually not concerned for process layout. In this study, quantitative risk to human as well as the risk of equipment itself is considered to give more reliable layout of chemical processes. Among various quantitative risk approaches, modified individual risk index has been adopted. Individual risk counts for the risk that a person near the dangerous environment can take. With this index, optimal process layout is designed by minimization of cost and land area to consider the limitation of resources, also. The proposed methodology can provide the guideline to designing safe layout of chemical process concerning the various safety distance measures including equipment- equipment distance, equipment-employees distance and equipment-the public distance.