Rail Transport of Hazardous Substances from the Perspective of ‘All Hazard’ Risk Management

• Main Author: Ruud Houdijk
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: AIDIC Servizi S.r.l. 2016-04-01
• Series: Chemical Engineering Transactions
• Online Access: https://www.cetjournal.it/index.php/cet/article/view/3444

In the Netherlands the method of Quantitative Risk Analysis for external safety risks of transport of hazardous substances is solely focused on fatal casualties. The transference of this methodology into spatial planning principles results in limited safety zones wherein expensive measures are required. In the EU PRISMA project this current approach was compared to the new Dutch ‘all hazard’ risk assessment methodology. In this method the scope of the assessment is broadened to all kinds of impacts, including physical, economic, ecological and social effects. Using event tree analysis for all these impacts, a broad set of potential prevention measures can be identified. A preliminary societal cost-benefit analysis has indicated that cheaper safety measures in a much larger zone could be advisable, as well as protecting against other kinds of scenarios. A whole different approach towards spatial safety comes into view, aimed at correlating spatial zones with the cost-benefit ratio of measures for different scenarios, from an ‘all hazard’ and ‘all impact’ perspective and in cooperation with all relevant stakeholders.