Development of a theoretical framework for the evaluation of risk connected to accidental oxygen releases

a b s t r a c t A short-cut methodology for a fast estimation of hazards from oxygen releases and the evaluation of safety distances is presented. Starting from a historical survey on accidents involving oxygen releases and consequent scenarios, the approach includes analytical models for the quantification of incremental hazards due to oxygen releases, in nonobstructed areas, both for continuous and nearly instantaneous scenarios, adopting a simple Gaussian dispersion model. An example of the application of the model in a real case-study and relevant quantitative results are presented.