Sakineh A. Abbasi

Bio: Sakineh A. Abbasi is an academic researcher from Pondicherry University. The author has contributed to research in topics: Poison control & Domino effect. The author has an hindex of 8, co-authored 9 publications receiving 698 citations.

Domino effect in process-industry accidents - An inventory of past events and identification of some patterns

Abstract: The paper presents an inventory, perhaps the most comprehensive till date, of the major process-industry accidents involving 'domino effect'. The inventory includes, among other relevant information, the sequence of accidents that had occurred in each domino episode. The information has been analyzed to identify several patterns which may be useful in further work on understanding domino effect and reducing the probability of its occurrence in future. A concept of 'local domino effect' has been introduced. Language: en

A new method for assessing domino effect in chemical process industry.

Abstract: A new methodology is presented with which the likely impact of accident in one process unit of an industry on other process units can be forecast and assessed. The methodology is based on Monte Carlo Simulation and overcomes the limitations of analytical methods, used hitherto, which were inherently limited in their ability to handle the uncertainty and the complexity associated with domino effect phenomena. The methodology has been validated and its applicability has been demonstrated with two case studies.

Safety Weighted Hazard Index (SWeHI): A New, User-friendly Tool for Swift yet Comprehensive Hazard Identification and Safety Evaluation in Chemical Process Industrie

Abstract: Indices are extensively used for ranking various units of a chemical process industry on the basis of the hazards they pose of accidental fires, explosions and/or toxic release. This type of ranking enables the professionals to identify the more hazardous units from the less hazardous ones so that greater attention can be paid to the former. The available indices—including the well-known Dow and Mond indices, and the author's HIRA (hazard identification and ranking analysis, Khan and Abbasi, 1 )—rank chemical process units mainly in terms of the hazardous substances and operating conditions associated with the concerned units. Dow and Mond indices do consider some factors (‘off setting index values’ in the case of the Mond Index and ‘credits factor’ in the case of the Dow index) to account for the safety measures existing or planned in the unit, but much greater rigour, accuracy, and precision are needed in quantifying the impact of safety measures on the values of the hazard indices. In this context, an attempt has been made to develop a new index, named here the Safety Weighted Hazard Index (SWeHI). The details are presented in this paper.

Accident Hazard Index: A Multi-Attribute Method for Process Industry Hazard Rating

Abstract: Traditionally, the severity of accidents in the chemical process industries has been gauged on the basis of the human lives lost1-5 However, factors such as loss of assets, contamination of the surroundings, and the resultant trauma also contribute to a very large extent towards the adverse impacts of such accidents We have developed Accident Hazard Index (AHI) as a new system for a comprehensive yet rapid assessment of the damage caused by accidents in the chemical process industries The index can also be used to assess the impacts of accidents likely in a yet-to-be-commissioned industry on the basis of site characteristics and the industry’ s process and operational details; the index thus enables one to choose between possible sites for setting up a new industry

Development of a new chemical process-industry accident database to assist in past accident analysis

Abstract: Past accident analysis (PAA) is one of the most potent and oft-used exercises for gaining insights into the reasons why accidents occur in chemical process industry (CPI) and the damage they cause. PAA provides invaluable ‘wisdom of hindsight’ with which strategies to prevent accidents or cushion the impact of inevitable accidents can be developed. A number of databases maintain record of past accidents in CPI. The most comprehensive of the existing databases include Major Hazard Incident Data Service (MHIDAS), Major Accident Reporting System (MARS), and Failure and Accidents Technical Information Systems (FACTS). But each of these databases have some limitations. For example MHIDAS can be accessed only after paying a substantial fee. Moreover, as detailed in the paper, it is not infallible and has some inaccuracies. Other databases, besides having similar problems, are seldom confined to accidents in chemical process industries but also cover accidents from other domains such as nuclear power plants, construction industry, and natural disasters. This makes them difficult to use for PAA relating to CPI. Operational injuries not related to loss of containment, are also often included. Moreover, the detailing of events doesn’t follow a consistent pattern or classification; a good deal of relevant information is either missing or is misclassified. The present work is an attempt to develop a comprehensive open-source database to assist PAA. To this end, information on about 8000 accidents, available in different open-source clearing houses has been brought into a new database named by us PUPAD (Pondicherry University Process-industry Accident Database). Multiple and overlapping accident records have been carefully eliminated and a search engine has been developed for retrieval of the records on the basis of appropriate classification. PUPAD doesn’t aim to replace or substitute the well established databases such as MHIDAS and MARS but, rather, aims to compliment them.

Biomass energy and the environmental impacts associated with its production and utilization

Abstract: Biomass is the first-ever fuel used by humankind and is also the fuel which was the mainstay of the global fuel economy till the middle of the 18th century. Then fossil fuels took over because fossil fuels were not only more abundant and denser in their energy content, but also generated less pollution when burnt, in comparison to biomass. In recent years there is a resurgence of interest in biomass energy because biomass is perceived as a carbon-neutral source of energy unlike net carbon-emitting fossil fuels of which copious use has led to global warming and ocean acidification. The paper takes stock of the various sources of biomass and the possible ways in which it can be utilized for generating energy. It then examines the environmental impacts, including impact vis a vis greenhouse gas emissions, of different biomass energy generation–utilization options.

Dust explosions–Cases, causes, consequences, and control

Abstract: Dust explosions pose the most serious and widespread of explosion hazards in the process industry alongside vapour cloud explosions (VCE) and boiling liquid expanding vapour explosions (BLEVE). Dust explosions almost always lead to serious financial losses in terms of damage to facilities and down time. They also often cause serious injuries to personnel, and fatalities. We present the gist of the dust explosion state-of-the-art. Illustrative case studies and past accident analyses reflect the high frequency, geographic spread, and damage potential of dust explosions across the world. The sources and triggers of dust explosions, and the measures with which different factors associated with dust explosions can be quantified are reviewed alongside dust explosion mechanism. The rest of the review is focused on the ways available to prevent dust explosion, and on cushioning the impact of a dust explosion by venting when the accident does take place.

Review of 62 risk analysis methodologies of industrial plants

Abstract: For about 10 years, many methodologies have been developed to undertake a risk analysis on an industrial plant. In this paper, 62 methodologies have been identified, these are separated into three different phases (identification, evaluation and hierarchisation). In order to understand their running, it seems necessary to examine the input data, methods used, obtained output data and to rank them in several classes. First, all the input data are grouped together into seven classes (plan or diagram, process and reaction, products, probability and frequency, policy, environment, text, and historical knowledge). Then, the methods are ranked in six classes based on the combination of four usual criteria (qualitative, quantitative, deterministic and probabilistic). And finally, the output data are classified into four classes (management, list, probabilistic and Merarchisation). This classification permits the appraisal of risk analysis methodologies. With the intention of understanding the running of these methodologies, the connections between the three defined previously criteria (determinist, probabilistic and determinist and probabilistic) are brought to the fore. Then the paper deals with the application fields and the main limitations of these methodologies. So the hierarchisation phase is discussed and the type of scale used. This paper highlights the difficulties in taking into account all risks for an industrial plant and suggests that there is not only one general method to deal with the problems of industrial risks.

Methods and models in process safety and risk management: Past, present and future

Abstract: The paper reviews past progress in the development of methods and models for process safety and risk management and highlights the present research trends; also it outlines the opinions of the authors regarding the future research direction in the field. Based on the open literature published in the leading journals in the field of safety, risk and reliability, the review covers the evolution of the methods and models developed for process safety and risk management. The methods and models are categorized as qualitative, semi-quantitative, quantitative and hybrid. The progress in the last few decades is discussed in the context of the past. Developments in the current decade formulate the basis of the present trends; future directions for research in these fields are also outlined. The aim of the article is to provide a historical development in this field with respect to the driving forces behind the development. It is expected that it will help researchers and industrial practitioners to gain a better understanding of the existing concepts. At the same time the aim is to provide direction to bridge the existing gaps through research and developments.

‘Renewable’ hydrogen: Prospects and challenges

Abstract: The increasingly manifest impacts of global warming have made it a global priority to phase out the use of petrol and diesel as transportation fuels in favour of hydrogen. But the production of hydrogen by most existing technologies entails substantial use of fossil fuels and CO 2 emissions; indeed as much as 2.5–5 tonnes of carbon is released as CO 2 per tonne of hydrogen currently produced by conventional means. Hence the production of hydrogen can be ‘carbon-free’ only if it is generated by employing genuinely carbon-free renewable energy sources. The present review deals with the options, prospects, and challenges associated with this very high-priority area of global concern.