UN Issues Guidelines to Help Avoid Industrial Accidents

How can industrial accidents be prevented? Or at least, how can their consequences across borders be kept to a minimum? Answers can be found in the guideline published by the UN Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE).

The guideline supports the risk assessment of industrial facilities for companies that use and store hazardous substances. It aims at reducing the frequency, severity, and impact of accidents by taking appropriate safety precautions. Because priorities and methods differ from country to country, standardized terminology across countries is important to ensure a common understanding of risk for all the parties involved.

Content

The authors describe how to identify, analyze, and assess risks. As an illustration, they provide examples of systems that pose a particular risk potential, including:

• Storage tanks for liquefied natural gas (LNG) or liquefied petroleum gas (LPG)
• Ammonia refrigeration systems
• Oil terminals (loading, unloading and storage facilities)
• Ammonium nitrate storage facilities
• Chlorine plants

For example, specific scenarios in various regions are used to show the consequences of the release of hazardous substances, the likelihood of accidents, and the measures that can be taken to reduce them.

Ensure legal certainty in the handling of critical substances. We will be happy to answer any questions you may have to this topic at sales@kft.de.