The Role of Emergency Response in Risk Management of Cascading Events Caused by Natech Accidents

The Role of Emergency Response in Risk Management of Cascading Events Caused by Natech Accidents

Ricci, Federica (University of Bologna)
Yang, M. (TU Delft Safety and Security Science)
Reniers, G.L.L.M.E. (TU Delft Safety and Security Science; Universiteit Antwerpen; Katholieke Universiteit Leuven)
Cozzani, Valerio (University of Bologna)

2022

Accidents triggered by natural events are becoming an increasing issue for policy-makers and industrial practitioners in the last decades. These events are called Natech (natural hazards triggering technological disasters), and their study is critical due to an increase in both the frequency and the magnitude of the consequences. Considering the possible failure of safety systems and the several equipment items potentially involved in the accidents due to the occurrence of multiple simultaneous failures and cascading events, the emergency response results to be a crucial aspect in the risk assessment and management of Natech events. Despite this, the emergency response can also be affected by the occurrence of natural events. The purpose of the present work is to understand the effects of natural events on emergency response. To reach this goal, some relevant past accidents are studied. The result of the analysis allows highlighting the effects of the natural events on the emergency response. Moreover, lessons learned on the critical elements of the emergency response are derived when considering Natech accidents and related cascading events.

http://resolver.tudelft.nl/uuid:5c6cc7b8-7e7f-46e6-84c9-f227098affcd

https://doi.org/10.3303/CET2291061

1974-9791

Chemical Engineering Transactions, 91, 361-366

Institutional Repository

journal article

© 2022 Federica Ricci, M. Yang, G.L.L.M.E. Reniers, Valerio Cozzani