Analysis of Past Accidents Triggered by Natural Events in the Chemical and Process Industry

Abstract

NaTech events (Natural Hazard Triggering Technological Disasters) are becoming an increasing concern in the Chemical and Process Industry (CPI). From a risk management standpoint, a better understanding of such events is of paramount importance. In this perspective, the analysis of past accidents is crucial, being almost the only source of information on the possible interactions between natural threats and CPI. To this aim, the present work collected 438 past NaTechs that affected CPI, analysing the trends of accidents with respect to the trend of natural disasters, the geographical localization, the type of natural hazard triggering the accident, the final scenarios (e.g. fire, explosion,…) and the consequences on human and assets. For each type of NaTech, significant accidents have been reported and discussed.