Emergency Response Planning Guidelines Research Articles

Safety and Environmental Sustainability of Strategic Gasoil Tanks, Affected by Fire and Explosion Incidents in the Oil Facilities of Southern Ahvaz

Background: Incidents involving fire and explosions in storage tanks containing petroleum derivatives pose significant safety and environmental risks. The Ahvaz oil field, ranking as the third-largest globally, features numerous storage tanks for petroleum derivatives, raising the likelihood of accidents and necessitating a comprehensive investigation. Methods: This study aimed to assess the repercussions of gasoline release from two strategically positioned tanks within an oil center in Ahvaz city in the year 1400. The evaluation encompassed two gasoline tanks, one with a capacity of 650 L and the other with 2.3 million L. Numerical calculation methods and the ALOHA model were employed for consequence modeling. The modeling incorporated data on climatic conditions, topographic parameters, geographical characteristics, and tank specifications. The chemical exposure index (CEI) was utilized to prioritize potential health hazards for individuals in the vicinity of the tanks. Results: The findings indicated that, based on the Emergency Response Planning Guidelines (ERPG) criteria, the minimum safe distance for a fire is 28.5 yards for the 650-liter tank and 76.5 yards for the 2.3 million-L tank. Additionally, the toxic cloud radius resulting from diesel release was 61.2 and 136 yards for the respective tanks, putting 19 employees at risk in this area. Thus, the consequences of diesel release from tanks represent plausible and noteworthy incidents that could lead to significant accidents and damages. Conclusion: Assessing the repercussions of diesel release serves as an effective management tool in emergencies involving tanks, facilitating safe and appropriate placement measures.

Characterising the ground level concentrations of harmful organic and inorganic substances released during major industrial fires, and implications for human health.

We report on the concentration ranges and combustion source-related emission profiles of organic and inorganic species released during 34 major industrial fires in the UK. These episodic events tend to be acute in nature and demand a rapid public health risk assessment to indicate the likely impact on exposed populations. The objective of this paper is to improve our understanding of the nature, composition and potential health impacts of emissions from major incident fires and so support the risk assessment process. Real world monitoring data was obtained from portable Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) monitoring (Gasmet DX-4030/40) carried out as part of the UK's Air Quality in Major Incidents service. The measured substances include carbon monoxide, sulphur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, ammonia, hydrogen chloride, hydrogen bromide, hydrogen fluoride, hydrogen cyanide, formaldehyde, 1,3-butadiene, benzene, toluene, xylenes, ethyl benzene, acrolein, phosgene, arsine, phosphine and methyl isocyanate. We evaluate the reported concentrations against Acute Exposure Guideline Values (AEGLs) and Emergency Response Planning Guidelines (ERPGs), as well as against UK, EU and WHO short-term ambient guideline values. Most exceedances of AEGL or ERPG guideline values were at levels likely only to cause discomfort to exposed populations (hydrogen cyanide, hydrogen chloride, hydrogen fluoride and formaldehyde), though for several substances the exceedances could have potentially given rise to more serious health effects (acrolein, phosphine, phosgene and methyl isocyanate). In the latter cases, the observed high concentrations are likely to be due to cross-interference from other substances that absorb in the mid-range of the infrared spectrum, particularly when the ground level plume is very concentrated.

Modelling the occupational exposure of workers to certain hazardous chemicals

Hazardous substances are considered to be liquids, gases or solids which are of risk for the health and safety of workers and they may be found in almost all workplaces, including in SME’s. Hazardous substances include chemical agents, but also biological ones, such as bacteria, viruses, mould etc. Most chemicals used in the industry present risk for the workers, depending on their physico-chemical properties. Directive 2012/18/EU is the legal act which regulates the chemical substances field within the Member States, regulation dealing with the control of hazards involving dangerous substances which may lead to major accidents. In Romania, Law 59 dated April 2016 on controlling the hazard of major accidents caused by hazardous substances evaluates “hazardous chemicals”, describing the risk for people and regulating concentrations of such substances. By using the commercially available Phast consequence modelling package, within this study were modelled leaks of several chemical substances used in the industry, in order to estimate their hazardous influence extent. The current article is a significant work on modelling of discharge and atmospheric dispersion of hazardous substances using state-of-the-art consequence modelling software. Emergency Response Planning Guidelines (ERPG) are used as reference exposure levels within the present study. Output data of computational modelling are significantly influenced by input parameters. In this regard, the effects of the latter for ensuring robustness of the simulation and for identifying improvements have proven to be necessary.

Exposure assessment and environmental consequence evaluation of accidental chlorine release in an industrial area

ABSTRACT Simulated accidental releases of chlorine from the premises of a major household products manufacturing company in Nigeria were investigated, with Threat Zones (TZs). The Aerial Location of Hazardous Atmospheres (ALOHA) software was used for the TZ Identification. The Acute Exposure Guidelines (AEGLs) and the Emergency Response Planning Guidelines (ERPGs) were used for TZs determination. All the AEGL values employed in this analysis are for exposure durations of 60 min, which are expected to be sufficient for appropriate mitigating steps to take place during an emergency. Chlorine was not detected in the ambient environment of the factory premises during the study and was thus taken to be within limits. AEGLs TZs following an accidental release of chlorine from 1 cm hole on a chlorine tonner in the factory were 2000 – 2500 m, 966 – 1300 m and 289 – 382 m for AEGL-1, AEGL-2 and AEGL-3, respectively. ERPGs TZs created by the accidental release of chlorine from 1 cm hole on the chlorine tonner stored in the factory were 478 – 630 m, 274 – 362 m and 106 – 139 m for ERPG-1, ERPG-2, and ERPG-3, respectively. Adequate emergency response plan should be put in place to manage accidental chlorine release in the factory

Consequence Evaluation of Toxic Chemical Releases by ALOHA

Abstract Incidence of chemical leakage presents a severe threat to the safety of residents in close proximity, air quality and occupational safety. And as such, the prevention and simulation of chemical leakage has become one of the most important topics in the fields of environmental protection and process safety. In this study, the areal location of hazardous atmospheres (ALOHA) models have been chosen to simulate the release of liquid and gaseous toxic substances of three unnamed plants at a chemical complex. The simulation involves the release of chlorine, epichlorohydrin, and phosgene (these three toxic substances have been chosen for their significantly larger quantities and higher threat to safety) in their storage tanks to analyze the results from the scenario for further analyses and comparisons. The results are then presented in accordance to the emergency response planning guidelines (ERPG) and corresponding immediately dangerous to life or health (IDLH) values. We discovered the spread affection scope of plant C had the higher leaking of phosgene, the next was the plant A for leaking of chlorine, and the final was the plant B for leaking of epichlorohydrin. The results were then used in the deductions of relevant analyses of consequences and risk assessments, which would be made available to the sector in the hopes of minimizing the potential impact from such incidents in the future.

Development of emergency response planning guidelines (ERPGs)

Emergency Response Planning Guidelines (ERPGs) are airborne concentrations of chemicals that have been evaluated for three levels of emergency response. These are a nuisance level, and level that would affect egress from an exposure or a level that is near, but below a life threatening concentration. The ERPG is a volunteer committee of the American Industrial Hygiene Association that is comprised of industrial hygienists and toxicologists. This paper describes the history of emergency response guidelines and process of the evaluation.

Assessing homeland chemical hazards outside the military gates: industrial hazard threat assessments for department of defense installations

As part of comprehensive joint medical surveillance measures outlined by the Department of Defense, the US Army Center for Health Promotion and Preventive Medicine (USACHPPM) is beginning to assess environmental health threats to continental US military installations. A common theme in comprehensive joint medical surveillance, in support of Force Health Protection, is the identification and assessment of potential environmental health hazards, and the evaluation and documentation of actual exposures in both a continental US and outside a continental US setting. For the continental US assessments, the USACHPPM has utilized the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) database for risk management plans in accordance with Public Law 106-40, and the toxic release inventory database, in a state-of the art geographic information systems based program, termed the Consequence Assessment and Management Tool Set, or CATS, for assessing homeland industrial chemical hazards outside the military gates. As an example, the US EPA toxic release inventory and risk management plans databases are queried to determine the types and locations of industries surrounding a continental US military installation. Contaminants of concern are then ranked with respect to known toxicological and physical hazards, where they are then subject to applicable downwind hazard simulations using applicable meteorological and climatological data sets. The composite downwind hazard areas are mapped in relation to emergency response planning guidelines (ERPG), which were developed by the American Industrial Hygiene Association to assist emergency response personnel planning for catastrophic chemical releases. In addition, other geographic referenced data such as transportation routes, satellite imagery and population data are included in the operational, equipment, and morale risk assessment and management process. These techniques have been developed to assist military medical planners and operations personnel in determining the industrial hazards, vulnerability assessments and health risk assessments to continental United States military installations. These techniques and procedures support the Department of Defense Force Protection measures, which provides awareness of a terrorism threat, appropriate measures to prevent terrorist attacks and mitigate terrorism's effects in the event that preventive measures are ineffective.

Derivation of temporary emergency exposure limits (TEELs)

Short-term chemical concentration limits are used in a variety of applications, including emergency planning and response, hazard assessment and safety analysis. Development of emergency response planning guidelines (ERPGs) and acute exposure guidance levels (AEGLs) are predicated on this need. Unfortunately, the development of peer-reviewed community exposure limits for emergency planning cannot be done rapidly (relatively few ERPGs or AEGLs are published each year). To be protective of Department of Energy (DOE) workers, on-site personnel and the adjacent general public, the DOE Subcommittee on Consequence Assessment and Protective Actions (SCAPA) has developed a methodology for deriving temporary emergency exposure limits (TEELs) to serve as temporary guidance until ERPGs or AEGLs can be developed. These TEELs are approximations to ERPGs to be used until peer-reviewed toxicology-based ERPGs, AEGL or equivalents can be developed. Originally, the TEEL method used only hierarchies of published concentration limits (e.g. PEL- or TLV-TWAs, -STELs or -Cs, and IDLHs) to provide estimated values approximating ERPGs. Published toxicity data (e.g. lc50, lcLO, ld50 and ldLO for TEEL-3, and tcLO and tdLO for TEEL-2) are included in the expanded method for deriving TEELs presented in this paper. The addition here of published toxicity data (in addition to the exposure limit hierarchy) enables TEELs to be developed for a much wider range of chemicals than before. Hierarchy-based values take precedence over toxicity-based values, and human toxicity data are used in preference to animal toxicity data. Subsequently, default assumptions based on statistical correlations of ERPGs at different levels (e.g. ratios of ERPG-3s to ERPG-2s) are used to calculate TEELs where there are gaps in the data. Most required input data are available in the literature and on CD ROMs, so the required TEELs for a new chemical can be developed quickly. The new TEEL hierarchy/toxicity methodology has been used to develop community exposure limits for over 1200 chemicals to date. The new TEEL methodology enables emergency planners to develop useful approximations to peer-reviewed community exposure limits (such as the ERPGs) with a high degree of confidence. For definitions and acronyms, see Appendix. Copyright © 2000 Westinghouse Safety Management Solutions LLC obtained pursuant to US government contract.

Derivation of temporary emergency exposure limits (TEELs).

Short-term chemical concentration limits are used in a variety of applications, including emergency planning and response, hazard assessment and safety analysis. Development of emergency response planning guidelines (ERPGs) and acute exposure guidance levels (AEGLs) are predicated on this need. Unfortunately, the development of peer-reviewed community exposure limits for emergency planning cannot be done rapidly (relatively few ERPGs or AEGLs are published each year). To be protective of Department of Energy (DOE) workers, on-site personnel and the adjacent general public, the DOE Subcommittee on Consequence Assessment and Protective Actions (SCAPA) has developed a methodology for deriving temporary emergency exposure limits (TEELs) to serve as temporary guidance until ERPGs or AEGLs can be developed. These TEELs are approximations to ERPGs to be used until peer-reviewed toxicology-based ERPGs, AEGL or equivalents can be developed. Originally, the TEEL method used only hierarchies of published concentration limits (e.g. PEL- or TLV-TWAs, -STELs or -Cs, and IDLHs) to provide estimated values approximating ERPGs. Published toxicity data (e.g. lc(50), lc(LO), ld(50) and ld(LO) for TEEL-3, and tc(LO) and td(LO) for TEEL-2) are included in the expanded method for deriving TEELs presented in this paper. The addition here of published toxicity data (in addition to the exposure limit hierarchy) enables TEELs to be developed for a much wider range of chemicals than before. Hierarchy-based values take precedence over toxicity-based values, and human toxicity data are used in preference to animal toxicity data. Subsequently, default assumptions based on statistical correlations of ERPGs at different levels (e.g. ratios of ERPG-3s to ERPG-2s) are used to calculate TEELs where there are gaps in the data. Most required input data are available in the literature and on CD ROMs, so the required TEELs for a new chemical can be developed quickly. The new TEEL hierarchy/toxicity methodology has been used to develop community exposure limits for over 1200 chemicals to date. The new TEEL methodology enables emergency planners to develop useful approximations to peer-reviewed community exposure limits (such as the ERPGs) with a high degree of confidence. For definitions and acronyms, see Appendix.

U.S. Department of Energy Participation in the Development of Emergency Response Planning Guidelines: The Program and Process

Abstract An Emergency Response Planning Guidelines (ERPG) program has been established by the chemical industry and the American Industrial Hygiene Association, with the coordination of the Organization Resources Counselors, Inc. (ORC), to address the need for reliable, consistent, and well-documented emergency planning guidelines. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), through the ORC and established task forces and the American Industrial Hygiene Association, is participating by supporting development of ERPGs for chemicals used in DOE facilities. This article describes the DOE's process for prioritizing chemicals used within the DOE complex for development of basic information packages which provide suggested values in support of ERPG determination. This report also describes many of the guidelines developed for use in control of workplace exposure to toxic chemicals and why they are inappropriate for emergency response planning. The ERPG program is described, the reasons for its implementation are given...