Industrial accidents can have severe effects on people, the environment and economies, causing fatalities, disease outbreaks, injuries, environmental pollution, biodiversity loss, conflicts, political instability, financial loss and more. National governments and international organizations have developed legal and policy instruments and tools to prevent, prepare for and respond to industrial accidents. The UNECE Convention on the Transboundary Effects of Industrial Accidents is an important international legal instrument in this regard.
This publication aims to contribute knowledge on risk assessment, a key element of the Convention, which involves risk identification, risk analysis and risk evaluation associated with hazardous activities. Part 1 provides an overview of risk assessment methodologies used in the UNECE region. It can assist decision-making on developing and selecting appropriate methodologies, as well as on site selection, safety requirements, contingency planning, and public information dissemination regarding potential hazards. Additionally, Part 2 offers practical insights through eighteen case studies of risk assessment methodologies being applied to industrial facilities from various countries. The case studies cover risk assessments at five types of facilities: liquified natural gas (LNG)/liquified petroleum gas (LPG) storage tanks; ammonia refrigeration facilities; oil terminals (hydrocarbon loading/unloading/storage facilities); ammonium nitrate storage facilities; and chlorine facilities. Notably, five of these case studies provide examples for assessing transboundary risks of industrial facilities, since this has been identified as a challenge for many countries. Furthermore, annex lists some software tools that are available to support risk assessment.
In conclusion, this publication addresses the need for more information and knowledge exchanges on risk assessment, serving as a resource for stakeholders to gain a deeper understanding of risk assessments for industrial facilities and to strengthen industrial accident prevention.