Hazardous Installations Research Articles

Study on the public safety protection distance of high-sulfur natural gas conditioning plant

The standards for quantitative risk assessment in China are introduced. Taking a high-sulfur natural gas conditioning plant in northeastern Sichuan as an example, Quantitative risk assessment is conducted using the national standard 《Determination method of external safety distance for hazardous chemicals production units and storage installations》(GB/T 37243-2019) and 《Risk criteria for hazardous chemicals production unit storage installations 》(GB36894-2018). The determination basis of key parameters is explained, and the problems and suggestions in the quantitative risk assessment of high-sulfur natural gas conditioning plant in practical applications are proposed.

Study on the public safety protection distance of high-sulfur natural gas conditioning plant

The standards for quantitative risk assessment in China are introduced. Taking a high-sulfur natural gas conditioning plant in northeastern Sichuan as an example, Quantitative risk assessment is conducted using the national standard 《Determination method of external safety distance for hazardous chemicals production units and storage installations》(GB/T 37243-2019) and 《Risk criteria for hazardous chemicals production unit storage installations 》(GB36894-2018). The determination basis of key parameters is explained, and the problems and suggestions in the quantitative risk assessment of high-sulfur natural gas conditioning plant in practical applications are proposed.

Major Hazard Competent Person Profession in Malaysia: A document analysis of trends and demands

Introduction: The Malaysian Control of Industrial Major Accident Hazard (CIMAH) Regulations introduced in 1996 resulted in the creation ‘Major Hazard Competent Person’ (MHCP) profession. However, after two decades of its establishment, there has been limited study conducted on this specific profession. The objectives of this study are to analyze 1) the trend of application and passing rates of MHCP registrations; and 2) the trend of Major Hazard Installations (MHI) registrations, and its relationship with the available supply of registered MHCP. Methods: The study used a document review approach, involving the extraction, examination, and interpretation of data from both published and unpublished documents by the Department of Occupational Safety and Health (DOSH), the regulatory body responsible for overseeing both MHCP and MHI registration status in Malaysia. The study looks into data from 1996 (beginning of 1996 CIMAH Regulation) to 2023, though the available data found and analyzed were from 1998 to 2021. Results: The study reveals a concerning lack of growth in the number of professionals being certified as MHCP, despite an increase in the number of MHIs over the past two decades. Potential causes of this shortage identified include a demanding certification process, limited availability of MHCP competency courses, and a lack of clear career paths and growth opportunities in the profession. Conclusion: The inadequate supply of MHCPs could potentially undermine their ability to provide sufficient coverage for MHIs, indirectly jeopardizing the quality of risk management in major hazard facilities. Therefore, there is merit in periodically reviewing the regulations and reforming the MHCP profession in response to changing trends.

Perceptions of Solar Photovoltaic System Adopters in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Case of Adopters in Ntchisi, Malawi

The study reported in this article aimed to deepen the understanding of the mechanisms driving the adoption and usage of solar photovoltaic (PV) systems in rural Malawian households, particularly among communities that have not received prior solar energy interventions. It used a qualitative approach to investigate the experiences of solar PV system adopters in Ntchisi, Malawi. The study included fourteen participants, and data were collected through observations and interviews, which were then analysed using thematic analysis procedures. The study’s findings indicate that many individuals in rural areas have installed solar PV systems that lack adequate training, resulting in potentially hazardous installations. The installation of solar PV systems in villages is motivated by several factors, including the lack of electricity, convenience, benefits, and personal interest in learning more about solar systems. The participants have highlighted numerous benefits of using solar energy, such as reduced costs, increased convenience, improved productivity, reliable energy access, and telecommunication services. However, solar PV systems are primarily limited to household lighting, phone charging, and powering televisions and radios; however, not for cooking purposes. The findings imply that governments in sub-Saharan Africa should provide training and guidance on the safe and effective use of solar PV systems, invest more in solar PV infrastructure to enable larger solar systems for cooking, refrigeration, and irrigation, and promote the use of solar energy through education and awareness campaigns to encourage greater adoption of solar energy.

Study on Location of Fire Stations in Chemical Industry Parks from a Public Safety Perspective: Considering the Domino Effect and the Identification of Major Hazard Installations for Hazardous Chemicals

In order to select the location of fire stations more scientifically and improve the efficiency of emergency management in chemical industry parks (CIPs), an improved risk calculation model for hazardous chemicals has been proposed by taking the domino effect and the identification of major hazardous installations for hazardous chemicals into account. In the analysis of the domino effect, the Monte Carlo simulation was used. Then, a location model of the fire stations was established with the optimization objectives of minimizing total cost and maximizing total risk coverage. The solving procedure of the location model is based on the augmented ε-constraint method combined with the TOPSIS method. Finally, a green chemical industry park was used as a case study for the validation and analysis of the location model. The results showed that the improved model could protect the high-risk areas, which is beneficial for the location decisions of fire stations.

Objective-level resilience assessment of circular roadway tunnels with reinforced concrete liners for vehicle fire hazards

A framework is presented to quantify the objective-level resilience of reinforced concrete liners of circular tunnels when exposed to enclosed vehicle fire hazards. By assessing the loss of functionality due to fire-induced damage, the framework enables a decision-basis evaluation of the efficiency of various fire mitigation methods for specific tunnel conditions. In this study, the fire-induced damage of concrete tunnel liners due to strength loss and spalling is stochastically simulated and classified based on typical post-fire repair procedures and damage evaluation. The resilience assessment is conducted using Monte Carlo Simulation in combination with a fast-running tool for calculating the thermal impact from vehicle fires on the inside surface of the tunnel liner (developed by the authors in previous work). The proposed approach accounts for uncertainties associated with both the vehicle fire (particularly the combustion energy) and the tunnel conditions (i.e., geometry, dimensions, and the presence of longitudinal ventilation and/or fixed fire-fighting systems (FFFS)). A parametric case study is used to quantitatively demonstrate the effectiveness of FFFS for reducing post-fire losses of tunnel functionality. Other parameters such as tunnel dimensions, traffic restrictions for vehicles with heavy fire hazard risk, and installation or upgrade of the tunnel ventilation system show somewhat less effectiveness for reducing fire-induced damage.

Major hazard industries disaster preparedness: an empirical study of liquefied petroleum gas storage facilities

Liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) storage facilities storing more than 50 tonnes of LPG are classified as major hazard installations (MHIs). This industry involves highly flammable hydrocarbon chemicals that can cause destruction of property and endanger human lives. This study aims to investigate the level of disaster preparedness among 23 LPG storage facilities in Malaysia. The preparedness performance of the facilities was assessed through a five-point instrument measure in six preparedness domains. For overall preparedness, 60% of LPG facilities were rated poor or weak, and remaining 40% were rated as good or satisfactory. This indicates a serious gap in the overall current capacity of the majority of facilities to respond to major hazard disasters. Across all facilities, 'risk assessment' was the best performance domain, while the worst was 'emergency exercise'. The findings provide an overview of the level of preparedness that can guide areas of improvement among LPG facilities in Malaysia.

Hazard identification for risk assessment using the PRA technique in the automotive industry

The article presents a case study of an International Company of the Automotive Sector, which is dedicated to the manufacture of auto parts to supply the needs of Mexico, Brazil, the United States and China. It is important for the company to constantly improve; in this case it seeks to adapt the conditions of its OOccupational Health and Safety Management system to the applicable legal requirements to create safe work environments and thereby reduce work-related accidents. La methodology was divided in two sections, first section general information the automotive plant which include management and organization, localization, environment and surroundings, dangerous substances, hazardous installations and activities, and finally services. For de second section include the Preliminary Hazard Analysis PHA, Proportional Risk Assessment PRA Technique and principle ALARA. The results showed that there were 22 accidents in the 2018–2020 period, the accidents were classified into six categories according to the sources of danger that caused them. Two estimates were made, in the first the highest value was 70 related to the unsafe acts category and the lowest 18 from the category accidents caused outside the work facilities. Twenty-one immediate actions were also implemented, where the accidents were not considered serious. For the second estimate, the highest value of 70 dropped to 56 and the lowest value of 18 remained the same. Finally, it is recommended to standardize the data collection formats to the parameters requested by the PHA, PRA technique and ALARA Principle to perform a faster analysis of the information, it is also proposed that the risk assessment be part of the daily activities of Management of the System; As a line of future research, a methodology could be applied to implement a better safety culture in workers to reduce unsafe acts in addition to training programs.

Dynamic responses of steel cylindrical tanks subjected to sequential loadings of earthquake and explosion

The earthquake-explosion sequence is one of the typical multi-hazard coupling scenarios in chemical industrial parks (CIPs), of which hazardous installation units are easily damaged by the combined loadings. However, the structural dynamic responses behavior is extremely complex and associated with non-stationary relations. It is still challenging to capture a clear insight into the structural failure caused by sequential multi-hazards. This work focuses on the damage amplified phenomena of the steel cylindrical tank under the earthquake-explosion sequence. Specifically, a consecutive coupling approach is established, considering the interaction between the tank and stored liquid. The coupling effects of earthquake loading and blast wave on the deformation characteristics, stress response, energy absorption, and anti-blasting ability of the tank are investigated. Additionally, the effects of the seismic intensity and explosion intensity are analyzed. The results indicate that the failure of the tank probably appears in the upper portion under combined loadings. Compared to the tank without earthquake action, the seismic damage status results in multiple stress concentrations. The dynamic responses of the seismic damage tank under explosions are higher, which are 1.0–2.4 times than the case without earthquake action. Moreover, with the explosion intensity decreasing, the damage amplification effect of the tank under combined loadings becomes more apparent. Negative pressure and the impact of convective pressure formed by the liquid sloshing are the main factors causing the depression deformation of tank structure under the coupling effect. With the plastic deformation of the tank caused by earthquakes, the anti-blast performance of the tank will further reduce. The coupling scenarios of bi-directional earthquakes will cause more severe consequences than the uni-directional earthquake, while there are no significant differences in the coupling amplification effects in this work. These conclusions contribute to exploring the complex failure mechanisms of the tank exposed to post-earthquake explosion scenarios.

Development of a risk informed quantitative decision making framework for major accident hazards installations in Sri Lanka

This paper proposes a risk informed decision-making framework for siting Major Accident Hazard Installations in Sri Lanka. It is named the “Upper Bound FN curve” method. Generic failure rate data are utilized as country specific data are not available. FN Curves are derived for each process node of a Major Accident Hazard Installation using different failure rate data sets available in literature. The data sets giving the “worst case” FN Curve for each process node is identified. These FN Curves are called the Upper Bound FN Curves. Using these curves, a composite FN Curve is developed which is compared against the country specific risk acceptance criterion line. If the risk is not acceptable, further safety barriers are introduced. Safety distances are then determined using a scaling factor developed in this study called the relative risk reduction factor (RRRF). The RRRF is determined based on the comparative position of the composite FN curve with respect to the criterion line. The proposed methodology was applied in a case study of liquefied propane storage tank. Guidelines for application of the proposed framework, interpretation of the “Upper Bound FN Curve” method and estimation of safety distances are presented.

Redesign identification criteria for major hazard installation in Malaysia

AbstractMalaysia adopted the GHS through the CLASS Regulations of 2013. This new approach for chemical classification is inconsistent with the CIMAH Regulations of 1996 and has introduced new hazard categories, which are not included in the current major hazard identification criteria. For identifying MHI in Malaysia, the chemicals need to be reclassified. Therefore, this study aims to propose the indicative criteria for major hazard installation that are aligned with CLASS in order to simplify the process. The newly listed chemical threshold quantity, focusing on the acute toxicity group, was also identified. The steps involved include comparing major hazard legislation in the selected country, matching the criteria of CIMAH and CLASS, and reclassifying chemicals in Schedule Two of CIMAH. For estimation of TQ for nitric acid, dispersion modeling was selected. A guide for selecting suitable parameters was developed, ALOHA software was used to simulate the model, and the estimation result for nitric acid was 15.5 tonnes. This study provides the opportunity to improve CIMAH by applying CLASS hazard categories to identify major hazard installation. The guide to estimate TQ could be used for other acute toxicity chemicals as an option for regulators to negotiate and decide the TQ in CIMAH.

Research on hazard installations identification method of power equipment in ship

Hazard installation identification was the key and difficult point for ship power equipment safety management. According to the characteristics of ship power equipments, this article analyzed the characteristic of hazard installations, given the range and classification of hazard installation identification. Combining hazard installation checklist and routing inspection, the method and process of hazards installation identification was proposed for ship power equipment, which laid a foundation for its risk assessment and control.

Risk-informed land-use planning in the Indian context: A social cost-benefit analysis

Major chemical process accidents over the recent past decades have led to the formulation and enforcement of land-use planning (LUP) practices across many countries, so as to mitigate the public risk emanating from major chemical hazard installations. The present paper presents an approach to deciding land-use policy founded on integrated local risk-acceptance criteria and an attendant societal cost-benefit analysis. The application of the proposed approach is demonstrated by a case study of an example greenfield industrial facility for which the adjoining land is subject to strictures of LUP policy. The context is chosen to be that of India, which is an emergent economy that is beset with unique challenges for balancing land-use between agrarian and industrial use. The societal costs and benefits are computed employing macro-economic indicators; the former comprise opportunity cost of land restricted for development, while the benefit is comprised of the cumulative wealth generation due to economic development of the jurisdiction over the facility life time. The value of the benefit to cost ratio is found to be highest corresponding to a LUP based on a relatively relaxed risk acceptance criterion with As Low as Reasonably Practicable (ALARP) limits of 10−6–10−4/yr for public individual risk. The primary reason for this outcome is that, in comparison to a developed economy, land prices in India are relatively high vis-à-vis labour productivity and wages. This shifts the LUP choice towards the policy which involves least land-use restrictions against non-agrarian, commercial developments in the vicinity of major hazard installations. It is also demonstrated that if the per capita GDP values corresponded to those of developed economies, a LUP policy based on a more stringent risk acceptance criterion may be affordable for the society. An additional significant finding of the study is that the Value of Statistical Life of humans makes a relatively minor contribution to the societal cost-benefit analysis. Thus, its value as a determinant to LUP decision may be relatively limited. This essentially underscores the idea that the broader objective of LUP need be to simultaneously foster economic development and minimise human and other critical losses.

Third party risk modelling of Unmanned Aircraft System operations, with application to parcel delivery service

Commercial aviation distinguishes three indicators for third party risk (TPR): i) Expected number of ground fatalities per aircraft flight hour; ii) Individual risk; and iii) Societal risk. The latter two indicators stem from TPR posed to population by operation of hazardous installations. Literature on TPR of Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) operations have focused on the development of the first TPR indicator. However the expected increase of commercial UAS operations requires an improved understanding of third party risk (TPR). To support such improvement, this paper extends the existing TPR model for UAS operations with societal and individual risk indicators. The extension is developed both at modelling level and at assessment level. Subsequently the extended approach is applied to a hypothetical UAS based parcel delivery service in the city of Delft. The results obtained for the novel UAS TPR indicators show that this aligns commercial UAS operations with land use policies and standing TPR regulation for airports and hazardous facilities.

Designing Control and Protection Systems with Regard to Integrated Functional Safety and Cybersecurity Aspects

This article addresses current problems of risk analysis and probabilistic modelling for functional safety management in the life cycle of safety-related systems. Two main stages in the lifecycle of these systems are distinguished, namely the design and operation. The risk analysis and probabilistic modelling differ in these stages in view of available knowledge and data. Due to the complexity and uncertainty involved, both qualitative and quantitative information can be useful in risk analysis and probabilistic modelling. Some methodological aspects of the functional safety assessment are outlined that include modelling of dependent failures or cybersecurity and verifying the safety integrity level (SIL) under uncertainty. It is illustrated how the assumptions in the process of risk analysis and probabilistic modelling influence results obtained and, therefore, potentially the decisions taken in functional safety management. Programmable control and safety systems play an important role in mitigating and controlling risks in the operation of hazardous installations. This paper presents ways to deal with safety hazards involving such systems to be considered in risk analysis and integrated functional safety and cybersecurity management.

A dynamic multi-agent approach for modeling the evolution of multi-hazard accident scenarios in chemical plants

In the chemical industry, multi-hazard (toxic, flammable, and explosive) materials such as acrylonitrile are stored, transported, and processed in large quantities. A release of multi-hazard materials can simultaneously or sequentially lead to acute toxicity, fire and explosion. The spatial-temporal evolution of hazards may also result in cascading effects. In this study, a dynamic methodology called “Dynamic Graph Monte Carlo” (DGMC) is developed to model the evolution of multi-hazard accident scenarios and assess the vulnerability of humans and installations exposed to such hazards. In the DGMC model, chemical plants are modeled as a multi-agent system with three kinds of agents: hazardous installations, ignition sources, and humans while considering the uncertainties and interdependencies among the agents and their impacts on the evolution of hazards and possible escalation effects. A case study is analyzed using the DGMC methodology, demonstrating that the risk can be underestimated if the spatial-temporal evolution of multi-hazard scenarios is neglected. Vapor cloud explosion (VCEs) may lead to more severe damage than fire, and the safety distances which are implemented only based on fire hazards are not sufficient to prevent from the damage of VCEs.

Assessment on process safety management implementation maturity among major hazard installations in Malaysia

Despite the widespread process safety management (PSM) implementation among major hazard installations (MHI) in Malaysia, an assessment on current PSM implementation maturity had never been conducted. This study aims to provide such assessment, through the utilisation of PSM elements under the OSHA PSM standard. The study first involved the measurement of PSM implementation achievement grades as well as, the development of PSM implementation related process safety maturity model and process safety assessment rubrics. Both the achievement grades and maturity model were then utilised for the assessment on PSM implementation maturity among MHI in Malaysia. Suitable recommendations for improvements in effectiveness of PSM implementation were finally proposed with reference to the assessment rubrics. From the individual PSM elements implementation assessment results, the Pre-Startup Safety Review element registered the highest representative percentage of 24 %, of MHI in Malaysia having PSM implementation maturity below the predefined acceptable maturity levels. From the overall PSM implementation assessment results, it was found that a representative percentage of 40 % of MHI in Malaysia displayed PSM implementation maturity below the similar predefined acceptable maturity levels. However, the study emphasised that future improvements to the PSM implementation maturity could be achieved through the implementation of the proposed recommendations.

Safety evaluation of major hazard installations based on regional disaster system theory

Major accidents have catastrophic effects on humans and all of society. To prevent the occurrence of major accidents, it is essential to strengthen the management of major hazard installations. Generally, effective identification and reasonable evaluation of major hazard installations are the basic steps in safety management. At present, the evaluation methods for major hazard installations mainly focus on consequence analysis and probabilistic analysis without considering the vulnerability of hazard-affected bodies. Therefore, the proposed method will introduce regional disaster system theory and comprehensively analyze hazard-formative factors, the hazard-formative environment and hazard-affected bodies to achieve a more complete and effective assessment of major hazard installations. Hazard-formative factors are evaluated based on the rapid ranking method, hazard-formative environments are evaluated based on Bayesian networks, and hazard-affected bodies are evaluated based on the fuzzy comprehensive evaluation method. A tank group and a chemical industrial park are used to verify the feasibility and effectiveness of the new method.

Increased risk to people around major hazardous installations and the necessity of land use planning in South Korea

Risk management of major hazardous installations (MHIs) is a principal concern due to chemical hazards, both in South Korea and in foreign countries where chemical plants are located. To cope with these risks, various regulatory schemes have been developed for the recognition, prevention, and control of chemical accidents. Despite these efforts, the worst major accident caused by massive (20 t) leakage of anhydrous hydrogen fluoride occurred in Gumi City in 2012. As a result, the location of MHIs associated with the chemical industry became a major concern among the public, relating to the risks to both the public and environment. In this study, the regulatory systems in South Korea are compared with global standards for controlling major hazards, and the adoption of land use planning (LUP) is discussed. Based on population statistics for the last 17 years, the EPA's ALOHA software was used to evaluate the impact of land development and population growth around MHIs through case studies of societal risk changes at five water-treatment plants using Cl2 (chlorine). The total risk at the Cl2 sites increased by up to 3.05 times from 2000 to 2017, demonstrating the necessity of introducing LUP.

Inherently safer design in offshore oil and gas projects

Like all hazardous installations, inherently safer design (ISD) is one of the key tools in offshore oil and gas projects to minimize risks in offshore facilities. As the life cycle of offshore facilities is relatively short compared with onshore counterparts and there are many projects running every year, the potential is high for raising inherent safety standards and lowering safety risks throughout the offshore industry as old facilities are phased out. This paper gives an overview of offshore facilities and examples of implementation of ISD. Good examples of ISD are numerous. Industry guidance on ISD implementation abound. Yet, the systematic implementation of it in the industry is patchy. There are many reasons for factors which impede the effective, efficient and consistent implementation of ISD in projects. This paper describes some of them and proposes solution to address them. They include (a) the effective integration of ISD into hazard management systems with appropriate language to engage all disciplines in projects, (b) the phasing of resources to enable the project to capture ISD measures which are only available during early phases, (c) application of appropriate ISD goals and ISD performance metrics at various stages and (d) the appropriate use of quantified risk assessment to support ISD.