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Risk From LNG Facility
Risk From LNG Facility
Risk From LNG Facility
Abstract
More than 50 new Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) import
terminals are currently proposed for North America. Each of
these developments will face the challenges of risk
management and public risk perception. They are all
dependent on support from local elected leadership and on a
plan and ability to manage public communication. Failure to
address these issues may cause rejected developments, lost
opportunities and significant non-return costs.
The questions of facility safety and security are raised as
stakeholders and interest groups ask what if questions
regarding possible accident scenarios, such as What is the
maximum hazard area if a storage tank collapses, a LNG
carrier is penetrated, or an offloading accident occurs? The
questions are often characterized by misconceptions, but are
nevertheless of vital importance. In order to answer these
questions, safety and security aspects of LNG transport,
storage and re-gasification must be communicated
appropriately. How can the facility be perceived as safe
given the severity of the worst possible consequences from
major accidents?
Safety can be assured and enforced through compliance with a
pre-defined set of risk acceptance criteria. These criteria can
be absolute and tangible, or they may be more abstract.
Different practices are accepted in different regions, countries,
and states, as well as in different industry segments. Ideally,
risk acceptance criteria should be regulated by authorities.
This provides non-biased definition of safety and can remove
safety as the alibi to oppose industrial developments. The
debate can then focus on the real drivers for opposition such as
deteriorated property values, deterioration of aesthetics and
restrictions of pleasure craft activities in waterways also used
by LNG carriers. Developers may use compliance with
internationally recognized risk acceptance criteria if not
enforced by regulators. It can be helpful in communication
OTC 17931
OTC 17931
Type of Risk
Cancer, heart disease
Black lung disease
Air pollution
Accident
Accident
Accident
Cancer caused by
radiation
Cancer, heart disease
cosmic
OTC 17931
OTC 17931
Maximum
Tolerable Risk
(per year)
Negligible
Risk
(per year)
10-6
10-8
10-5
10-8
10-4
10-6
10-5
10-6
10-4
10-6
3 x 10-6
3 x 10-7
10-5
Not used
10-6
Not used
10-6
Not used
10-5
10-7
OTC 17931
FN
Curve
Slope
Max.
Tolerable
Intercept
with N=1
Negligible
Intercept
with N=1
VROM, The
Netherlands
-2
10
10
Hong Kong
Government
(New plants)
-1
10-3
10-5
Health &
Safety
Commission,
UK (Existing
ports)
-1
10-1
10-4
-3
-5
Limitations
on N
Criteria not
applied to less
than 10
fatalities
Finite risk of a
1000 fatality
accident is
unacceptable
Unacceptable region
ALARP region
ALARP
Negligible region
NEGLIGIBLE RISK
OTC 17931
References
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