The Importance Of Simulation In Managing Risk

The latest generation of simulation tools can better train staff to deal with industrial accidents – in terms of both mitigating risk and dealing with the consequences - explains Steven Pike, Managing Director of Argon Electronics.

Industrial accidents are, thankfully, a rarity: in Europe, the number of major reported incidents has dropped steadily from 48 in 2010, to just three in 2015. (Read More)

However, this type of incident – in which a process, procedure or operating system fails – can cause anything from property damage to injury and loss of life. Among those that took place in 2015, one included the release of gas and vapour from an ethylene distillation system; another involved an explosion at a pyrotechnics manufacturing plant, resulting in six deaths and significant destruction of property over a large area.

The most notorious case in recent years was the 2005 explosion at the Buncefield Oil Storage Terminal in the UK. It injured 43 people, registered 2.4 on the Richter Scale, and created a cloud of soot and other contaminants that extended across France and Spain within 24 hours. The cost of the accident has been estimated at €1.13 billion – including emergency response measures, remedial action and compensation claims – plus a further €11.8 million in fines for the operating companies involved.

Mitigating risk

The ownership and operation of hazardous industrial and process facilities, especially those that fall under COMAH (Control of Major Accident Hazards) regulations and the Sevesco III directive, requires carefully managed processes and procedures to ensure full compliance and to reduce risk to the absolute minimum.

If processes involve flammable or explosive materials, compliance with the Dangerous Substances and Explosive Atmosphere Regulations (DSEAR) must also form a key part of the risk management and safety strategy. Under DSEAR, an explosive atmosphere is defined as, ‘dangerous substances mixed with air, under atmospheric conditions, in the form of gases, vapours, mist or dust in which, after ignition has occurred, combustion spreads to the entire unburned mixture’. (The term ‘atmospheric’ is taken to mean ambient temperatures and pressures, -20°C to +40°C at pressures of 0.8 to 1.1 bar.)

Other relevant regulations include the European ATEX Directives 99/92/EC and 94/9/EC, which control both the working environment and the protective equipment and systems needed to maintain the safety of employees and the workplace as a whole.

Individual industry sectors are subject to specific regulations. These create structures, within which organisations can assess and manage risk using standardised, repeatable, documented procedures. However, the hazardous nature of the processes involved –combined with the potential for human error – means there is always the possibility of an accident.  The question is: how best can companies prepare for this?

Guidance and training

Many different organisations provide guidance and training courses to help managers assess and manage risk. The primary objective is to establish and document procedures, then embed them into working practices, so that unsafe systems and unwanted behaviours are eliminated. While this approach is essential, it is also critical that staff are trained to deal with an incident if it occurs: they must understand how to handle a release of gas, vapour, dust or radioactive material – which may be carried a long distance from the facility, and potentially affect on-site staff and the general public.

The challenge is to create training scenarios that replicate real-world situations, without actually releasing hazardous agents into the environment. Traditionally, this has been achieved using classroom or field-based simulations – often with small quantities of live materials or training sources, which trainees locate using conventional detection instruments – or the use of signs and hand held notes around the training area or classroom that show the expected level of contamination readings at different locations.
There are downsides to these methods. Using real detectors in training takes equipment out of service, and may lead to it being damaged. The use of training sources, even on a limited scale, can be a risk to trainees. As a minimum, it requires compliance with health and safety regulations and limits the maximum reading that can be presented. And, while the use of printed signs is inexpensive, in practice it does little to help trainees understand the correct use of detection equipment or the best methods of interpreting readings under different conditions.

Real-world simulation

The alternative is to use a new generation of intelligent computer based simulation tools, such as Argon Electronics’ PlumeSIM-SMART system. The latest version has been designed for use in a wide range of industrial scenarios, including the release of radiological, chemical and petrochemical gases, vapours or agents.

PlumeSIM-SMART is a software driven system, available on low cost annual user licences, which runs on a standard laptop connected wirelessly to one or more handheld smart devices or mobiles (SMART-SIM). These are used by students working in the designed training area, which can be up to 2,500km in area, and simulate real-life detection instruments. They are implemented as virtual devices within each SMART-SIM and include radiological dose and dose rate meters, multi-gas detection, air monitoring and, in future, radiological spectrometry meters – as well as customer specific instruments.

An instructor can create, run and optimise each training exercise from a central point, and influence the readings that students should obtain across the training area at different times or phases of each exercise.

In the field, students see a customised display on their SMART-SIM. Readings are automatically updated in real time to reflect the impact of changing wind and weather conditions on the dispersal rate of the plume of gas or radioactivity. Other features include the ability to simulate hot spots – such as static emissions or a localised radiological source and also material fallout, deposition, persistency, evaporation and radioactive decay. The associated simulated instrument readings are automatically updated.

The actions taken by each student are automatically logged, allowing the instructor to review the choice of survey route, time taken, information collected and communicated, personal dose management and the decisions taken as a result of the readings and hazard predictions provided.

PlumeSIM-SMART can also be configured to provide an identical training regime in the classroom, with an integrated gamepad feature to allow trainees to manoeuvre through a virtual exercise space thus dramatically enhancing Tabletop exercises.

Covered for COMAH

This new technology is ideal for a wide range of training scenarios, especially for industrial and process sites that fall under COMAH regulations and the Seveso III directive.

The system is simple to set up and use, yet enables intricate training programmes that reflect the challenges of dealing with complex dispersal patterns in different environmental conditions. Just as importantly, it provides detailed audit trails and can be used for training and evaluating staff at all levels of seniority and skill – including, for example, in the UK Bronze, Silver and Gold commanders. PlumeSIM-SMART also provides an effective means of demonstrating compliance and the effectiveness of response plans to regulatory authorities.

Tools like PlumeSIM-SMART offer an effective extension to safety management and training programmes – not just to help mitigate risk, but also to deal with the consequences of an accident.

For further information, please contact:
Argon Electronics,
Telephone: +44 (0)1582 491 616
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http://www.argonelectronics.com