|
Risk assessment is a useful management tool that can be applied to decision making for a range of environmental and chemical management issues.
Quantitative risk assessments have been developed using an extensive list of potential hazards we have identified from our long history of work experience in manufacturing and chemical processing plants.
Risk assessments are applied to our work in occupational hygiene, air modelling, chemical management and hazard analyses (PHA’s and FHA’s)1. Techniques have been developed to use computational methods to quantify consequences of events.
These methods include the latest air dispersion models, fault tree analyses, and TNO Effects model for heat of radiation, explosions and release of toxic emissions.
Our risk management approach for asbestos is a zero risk philosophy.
Our depth of environmental engineering and understanding of processes enables our clients to benefit from pragmatic and cost effective solutions to reduce the risk to acceptable levels.
For large chemical processing and warehousing sites a unique method of triple bunding a site has been developed and is already incorporated into several sites with the benefit of reducing risk of a spillage escaping off site to negligible levels.
Example Figure: Event Tree for Fully Developed Warehouse Fire
PLEASE CLICK ON THE IMAGE BELOW TO GET FULL PICTURE
1PHA – Preliminary Hazard analysis
FHA – Final hazard analysis
Latest Newsletter Article Related to Risk
Click here to view more of our Newsletter Articles
Risk Management Principles Applied to Chemical Exposures
Benbow Environmental’s Principal Consultant enjoys the technical challenge of developing safeguards to reduce the risk of exposure to hazardous chemicals and dangerous goods.
There have been many opportunities over the past year, several are summarised below:
- Facilitate a risk based analysis of the safeguards needed in using Hydrofluoric acid to clean the boiler pipes in two large boilers at Australia’s most technologically advanced pulp and paper mill.
- Undertake a quantitative risk assessment resulting from the storage of shipping containers filled with low strength HCB’s adjacent to a lunch room at a major facility.
- Quantitative risk assessment for water quality testing kits used by members of the community and school ground. A number of simulations of incidents that could occur were undertaken by members of the risk assessment team.
The quantitative risk assessment approach is a highly valued process if undertaken correctly. One of the keys to its success is involving all members of the risk assessment team and a working environment where all ideas and suggestions are considered – even the smallest detail can lend to an event that would otherwise be ignored.
|
