Evaluation of the Effects and Consequences of Major Accidents in Industrial Plants

Evaluation of the Effects and Consequences of Major Accidents in Industrial Plants, Third Edition is a fully updated and expanded edition that delves into a diverse range of significant accidents, including fires, explosions, and toxic clouds while also providing key models and methods for calculating their effects and consequences. New chapters on Natech accidents and the transportation of hazardous materials, along with updated data on accident frequencies and the domino effect ensure that readers are equipped with the latest insights and methodologies relevant to real-world incidents. The book cover topics such as source terms, fire accidents, vapor cloud explosions, and quantitative risk analysis. Each chapter is designed to enhance understanding, with detailed analyses of recent significant accidents and the increasing risks posed by climate change, particularly in the context of forest fires and hydrogen safety. Additional annexes provide vital constants, flammability limits, and guidelines for assessing human exposure to hazardous events.

Joaquim Casal is an Emeritus Professor at the Polytechnic University of Catalonia, Spain, with 35 years of experience in quantitative risk analysis. He has conducted accident analyses for legal cases, performed risk assessments for chemical companies, and researched major accidents. A visiting professor internationally, he has authored around 300 papers and three books, focusing on safety and risk analysis in process plants and hazardous material transportation. He founded the Centre for Studies on Technological Risk in 1992 and has held leadership roles at UPC and the Autonomous Government of Catalonia. He continues to teach risk analysis courses globally.

1. Introduction 2. Source Term 3. Fire Accidents 4. Vapor Cloud Explosions 5. BLEVEs and Vessel Explosions 6. Dust Explosions 7. Atmospheric Dispersion of Toxic or Flammable Clouds 8. Vulnerability 9. Determination of Accident Frequencies 10. Domino Effect 11. Quantitative Risk Analysis 12. Transportation of Hazardous Materials 13. Natech Accidents Annex 1. Constants in the Antoine Equation Annex 2. Flammability Limits, Flash Temperature, and Heat of Combustion (Higher Value) for Different Substances Annex 3. Determining the Damage to Humans From Explosions Using Characteristic Curves Annex 4. Acute Exposure Guideline Levels (AEGLs) Annex 5. Immediately Dangerous to Life and Health (IDLH) Concentrations