Overview

Industrial processes are prone to hazardous or unexpected events. In their paper, Nicholas D. Anastas and John C. Warner wrote, "Hazard should be considered as a design flaw and efforts need to be made in the designing phase to minimize or eliminate it" (2005). Hazards may arise from many factors, and they manifest themselves in various forms. These various hazardous events could be external or internal fire, confined or unconfined explosion, noxious gas release, pollution, moving object hazard, etc. (USCSHI, 2000). The description of these events and their consequences are listed later in this chapter.

A hazard could lead to the following consequences:

1. External fire. May be prompted by flammable gas or vapor; liquid, solid, metal, wood, or waste material; pyrophoric material and presence of ignition source such as sparks, static, friction, hot spots, welding, lightning, auto ignition, or furnace. Immediate consequence: engulfment, thermal radiation, fire damage, smoke, domino effect (where one incident is the primary cause for several other incidents).

2. Internal fire (inside equipment or a confined space). May be prompted by flammable gas or vapor; liquid, solid, metal, wood, or waste material; pyrophoric material; oxygen, halogen, and presence of ignition source such as sparks, static, friction, hot spots, welding, lightning, auto ignition, or furnace. Since the space is confined, the chances of developing a flammable atmosphere are very high. Immediate consequence: damage to equipment, domino effect, fumes/gases extending to an external fire.

3. Internal explosion (inside equipment). May be prompted by uncontrolled reaction, equipment testing, filling, purging, or...