TECHNOLOGICAL HAZARDS

Essay text:

Large-scale disasters can threaten the stability of the global ecology. Parameters of severity:- Quantity of hazardous substances released; temperature of fire; extent of explosion destruction; area of contamination of air, sea, groundwater; local intensity of contamination (parts per million Becquerel’s/liter for radio-activity) Causes:- Fire; failures of plant safety design; incorrect plant operating procedures; failures of plant components; accidental impact; arson and sabotage; earthquakes Hazard assessment and mapping techniques:- Inventories and maps of storage locations of toxic/ hazardous substances and their characteristics; common transportation routes for dangerous substances; maps of possible zone of contamination and contamination intensity in the event of a release of any given size; traffic corridors and historical accident records for transportation hazard areas; Potential for reducing hazard:- Improved safety star cards in plant and equipment design; anticipation of possible hazards in plant design; fail-safe design and operating procedures; dispersal of hazardous materials; legislation; preparedness planning Onset and warning:- Rapid (minutes or hours) or sudden (no warning); industrial plant design should incorporate monitoring and warning systems for fire, component failure and build-up of dangerous conditions; release of pollutants may be slow enough for warning and evacuation of plant operatives and public; explosions can in some cases be anticipated...