Maria Francesca Milazzo

An extended risk assessment approach for chemical plants applied to a study related to pipe ruptures

Risk assessments and Quantitative Risk Assessment (QRA) in particular have been used in the chemical industry for many years to support decision-making on the choice of arrangements and measures associated with chemical processes, transportation and storage of dangerous substances. The assessments have been founded on a risk perspective seeing risk as a function of frequency of events (probability) and associated consequences. In this paper we point to the need for extending this approach to place a stronger emphasis on uncertainties. A recently developed risk framework designed to better reflect such uncertainties is presented and applied to a chemical plant and specifically the analysis of accidental events related to the rupture of pipes. Two different ways of implementing the framework are presented, one based on the introduction of probability models and one without. The differences between the standard approach and the extended approaches are discussed from a theoretical point of view as well as from a practical risk analyst perspective.

HazMat transport through Messina town: from risk analysis suggestions for improving territorial safety

Abstract In this paper, after briefly outlining the main features of TRAT2, its application to the land transport of dangerous goods through the downtown of Messina is outlined. Owing to its particular location, there is a large flow of hazardous materials through the city of Messina. Many of these substances come from the greatest industrialised areas of Sicily. Goods reach the town by rail or road, and cross the Straits by ship. A complete inventory of dangerous substances, detailed in the paper, was the basis of a complete risk analysis, whose results, obtained by means of the TRAT2 software, have been analysed and discussed. From both individual risk distribution and societal risk curves the importance of parameters has been obtained and this has suggested measures to improve the safety of the urban area.

Potential loading damage to industrial storage tanks due to volcanic ash fallout

The phenomenon of volcanic fallout ash from Mt. Etna in Sicily (Italy) is well known and frequent in recent years, as in the period 2001–2004. As a consequence, significant problems for the population, road, rail and air traffic and production activities have occurred. The industrial areas of Catania and Augusta-Priolo, located in south eastern Sicily, might be involved during particular weather conditions. This paper aims at determining the potential scenarios of damage to industrial facilities caused by volcanic ash fallout. The work has been focused on the study of both fixed and floating roof storage tanks, containing flammable liquids, and examines extreme failures damage causing the greatest loss of containment for these facilities. To include scenarios arising from natural phenomena (Na-Tech events) in the standard risk assessment procedure, the estimation of the vulnerability of these facilities is necessary. The study has been applied to the area surrounding Mt. Etna, and the procedure can also be extended to other case studies.

Risks associated with volcanic ash fallout from Mt.Etna with reference to industrial filtration systems

The recent eruption of the Icelandic volcano has focused the worldwide attention on volcanic ash effects for the population, road, rail and air traffic and production activities. This paper aims to study of technological (industrial) accidental scenarios triggered by ash fallout and, more specifically, to define and quantify the potential damage on filtration systems. Malfunctions due to the filter clogging and service interruptions caused by the rupture of the filtering surface have been analysed in order to define the vulnerability of the equipment to such damages. Results are given in terms of threshold values of deposit on the filtering surface and exceedance probability curves of ash concentrations and the duration of the ash emission. This data can be easily implemented in the standard risk assessment with the aim to include the estimation of Natural-Technological (Na-Tech) hazards.

Vulnerability Assessment for Human Targets due to Ash Fallout From Mt. Etna

The volcanic ash fallouts are able to affect the human health and the integrity of industrial facilities. The study of the effects associated with ash emissions was the objective of the PRIN project carried on by the authors of this paper. The activities of the project allowed to define a simplified procedure for the vulnerability assessment of human and industrial targets, that has been applied to the area surrounding Mt. Etna. Recent several ash fallouts from this volcano have caused significant problems to the resident population, traffic and industrial activities. The application of the study to this territory provided a vulnerability mapping to support the decision making both in terms of the definition of protection measures and of the emergency planning and management.

Quantitative Transport Risk Analysis on a Regional Scale: An Application of TRAT-GIS to East Sicily

In this paper an extensive quantitative risk assessment as applied to the land transport of dangerous goods in Sicily is outlined. A complete inventory of dangerous substances was the basis for this complete risk analysis. From both the individual risk distribution and societal risk curves the importance of parameters has been obtained and this has suggested measures to reduce the risk in Sicily. Calculations has been made with the TRAT software code (implemented on a GIS platform) which has been developed to evaluate the risk to human health and to the environment due to the transportation of dangerous goods.

A GIS-based tool for the management of industrial accidents triggered by volcanic ash fallouts

In this last decade, worldwide attention has been focused on the hazards derived from the interaction between extreme natural phenomena and critical infrastructures and/or chemical and process industry (natural–technological hazards or Na-Tech). Due to the recent occurrence of significant events, great attention has also been given to Na-Tech hazards triggered by volcanic eruptions; in particular, the eruption of the Icelandic volcano alarmed the European community due to the ash fallout over the continent, which caused significant problems for the population, road, rail and air traffic and production activities. This study aims at defining a procedure for the representation of the vulnerability of industrial facilities to potential volcanic ash fallouts. Its implementation on a Geographical Information System has also been executed and a semi-automatic procedure for the vulnerability mapping has been constructed.

The use of the risk assessment in the life cycle assessment framework: Human health impacts of a soy-biodiesel production

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to quantify the human health impacts of soy-biodiesel production with the aim to discuss about its environmental sustainability. Design/methodology/approach – The integrated use of two current approaches, risk assessment (RA) and life cycle assessment (LCA), has allowed improvement of the potentialities of both in obtaining a more complete analysis. The implementation of a life cycle indicator for the assessment of the impacts on the human health, integrating the features of both approaches, is the main focus of this paper. Findings – It has been found that, although the biodiesel is a green fuel, it has some criticalities in its life cycle, which cannot be disregarded. In fact, even if biodiesel is essentially a clean fuel there are some phases, prior to the industrial phase, that can cause negative effects on human health and ecosystems. Practical implications – Results suggest some measures which can be adopted to substantially reduce human health impacts. Further...

Using the ALARP principle for safety management in the energy production sector of chemical industry

Abstract In the context of chemical industry, in particular in high hazard industries, the adoption of safety measures is essential to reduce risks and environmental impacts, due to the release of dangerous substances, at level that is reasonably practicable. The ALARP (As Low As Reasonably Practicable) principle is broadly used for decision-making in safety management, supported by cost-benefit analyses and the grossly disproportionate criterion, but without paying the proper attention to the decision frame (defined by the level of uncertainty and knowledge of the chemical phenomena, the use of best available technologies, the potential of major losses due to the release of hazardous materials and other items). In this paper, by examining the energy production sector of chemical industry, it will be argued that the decision context makes the application of the ALARP principle not always proper, whereas a dynamic interpretation, in which decisions are made oscillating between two borderlines, where in one case reference is made to expected values and in the other one to the precautionary principle, is more appropriate.

Human and Environmental Impact Assessment for a Soybean Biodiesel Production Process Through the Integration of LCA and RA

Biodiesel is one of the most important global renewable fuels produced by vegetable biomass. It is the main green fuel produced and utilized in Europe (in this context Italy is the 4th producer country) and the result of national biofuel mandates. The EU Renewable Energy Directive imposes to reach a minimum threshold of 10 % diesel blending with biodiesel by 2020 in order to reduce global warming. Biodiesel has many positive aspects, it is a renewable, non-ecotoxic and obtained from vegetable oils and animal fats with a favorable balance in terms of GWP (Global Warming Potential) and EROI (Energy Return On Investment), but its production has also some critical aspects mainly related to its impacts on the environment and health. The aim of this chapter is to demonstrate how an approach for the assessment of these impacts, by means of the integration of LCA (Life Cycle Assessment) and RA (Risk Assessment) methodologies, helps in evaluating the acceptability of the process.