Aon Energy Risk Engineering - Facility Siting

Identify Hazards. Evaluate Consequences. Manage Risks.

Process safety management is complex and consists of an array of programs put in place to ensure identification, evaluation, and mitigation or prevention of chemical releases that could occur as a result of failure in processes, procedures or equipment. Facility siting is an element of the Process Hazards Analysis requirements of both the OSHA Process Safety Management Standard and the EPA Risk Management Plan. Facility siting is the process of managing risk from explosions, fires, and toxic material releases by identifying hazards that can affect process area buildings, evaluating potential consequences of those hazards, and developing means to manage the risks that those hazards initiate.

Facility Siting Evaluation

Aon Energy Risk Engineering performs the following tasks when completing a facility siting evaluation:

Task 1 – Gathering Data

Aon Energy Risk Engineering gathers specific data from the client to help determine the areas of the facility that have the potential for explosions, the potential impact on buildings from fire, and the potential for toxic releases affecting process area buildings:

Task 2 – Explosion Screening

Once information has been gathered, we determine the areas of the facility that have the potential for explosions. A member of the Aon Energy Risk Engineering staff performs a walk-through inspection of the facility to collect information necessary to calculate overpressures from explosions. A blast overpressure is then calculated using the TNO multi-energy methodology for hydrocarbon releases and alternative models for other types of explosions.

Task 3 – Fire Screening

During the facility visit, a member of the Aon Energy Risk Engineering staff examines each building onsite to determine if fire exposure is a concern. Aon Energy Risk Engineering typically uses the spacing table approach as outlined in the CCPS book, Facility Layout and Spacing, to evaluate the location of buildings from potential fire hazards

Task 4 – Toxic Screening

Buildings onsite are examined to determine if toxic exposure is a concern. Aon Energy Risk Engineering has the capability to perform dispersion modeling for potential toxic release scenarios if necessary. Alternatively, it is assumed that buildings onsite are impacted by a potential toxic release. Aon Energy Risk Engineering provides a qualitative evaluation of building occupants’ ability to escape or shelter-in-place during a toxic release scenario.

Task 5 – Risk Screening Analysis

Aon Energy Risk Engineering can calculate the maximum individual risk and aggregate risk for all occupied buildings that could be exposed to a blast overpressure, thermal radiation intensity, or toxic vapor concentration. The results of this risk screening analysis assist the site management team in deciding whether any risk-reduction activities are warranted.