Chapter 8 – A Systematic Approach to Risk Reduction

Publisher Summary This chapter addresses the systematic approach to risk reduction. The factors that determine the safety of a hazardous plant, machine, operation, or a transport operation are: inherent hazard, adequacy of control of the hazardous facility, adequacy of the protective systems, and damage limitation. This chapter describes transferring the risk by means of insurance. It discusses the various methods of reducing fire risks in process plants, including fire safety design features and illustrates with a case study both the possible problems and the systematic approach to upgrade a fire-fighting water system. A brief outline of fire-fighting, which is a vast subject, is also included in the chapter. There are several types of fire-fighting media, which includes water, foam, dry chemical, and fire-extinguishing gases. It discusses the various ways of reducing fire risks in warehouses, which are designed for storing large quantities of material. Goods in transit of hazardous materials need special care and attention to reduce the risks, which are explained effectively. It also discusses the importance of setting up of a risk based inspection program.