The 5 Dangerous Trends in Hazardous Operations is a study that identifies and analyzes the major factors that lead to the continued rise in major accidents. Past accidents in various facilities; both on-shore and off; show that trends related to operation cost, knowledge drain, and asset decay are all on the rise. The study discusses the key differences between occupational safety and inherent safety, and the importance of design in hazard management.
The 5 Dangerous Trends study is used to educate organizations that operate covered and hazardous facilities about the current and ever-present dangers that exist. Furthermore, the study demonstrates the difference between the focus on occupational safety and that of inherent safety. Organizations learn more about the tools and techniques; such as QRAs and HAZIDs; so as to drive initiatives in process (inherent) safety practices.
The study identifies 5 dangerous trends in terms of direct and indirect costs as they relate to the operations of hazardous facilities. The data is obtained from sources such as the Centre for Research of the Epidemiology of Disasters (CRED) and the Baker Panel Report. The study concludes that most major accidents still occur due to the same fire and explosions that have always affected hazardous operations. Additionally, change needs to occur soon before the experienced operators and engineers are gone.
Some organizations have changed design practices in order to reduce the occurrence of major disasters; many have not. Major disasters have escalated, leading to larger financial and human losses. Instead of changing design, companies have tried to implement more complex and rigid procedures and safeguards. The study uses examples of the industrial disasters to include: the Bhopal Catastrophe, the Piper Alpha disaster, and the Texas City Refinery explosion. The study delivers the message that it is the responsibility of each individual to champion inherent safety. Companies operating within hazardous industries may develop new ways of designing process systems and effectively put an end to multi-million dollar disasters.
