Consideration of external natural impacts in the design of hazardous production facilities

¹ Moscow State University of Civil Engineering, Yaroslavskoe shosse, 26, Moscow, 129337, Russia
² Saint Petersburg State Forest Technical University, Institutskiy per., 5, Saint-Petersburg, 194021, Russia
³ NPO Gidrotekhproekt, Oktyabr’skaya str. 55A, 175400 Valday City, Novgorod Region, Russia

^* Corresponding author: 4914907@gmail.com

Abstract

In the contemporary society the need for assurance of technological and environmental safety of production facilities (PF), including hazardous ones, is dictated by technological development of the economy. This fact presupposes that the criteria of potential natural factors (geological, hydrological, meteorological) impact should be clarified during the design process. Insignificant number of available scientific generalizations of external factors impact on PF does not allow for making an initial protectability assessment of production complexes and adjacent areas. This research is aimed at developing a methodical approach to considering natural effects (including the extreme impacts) in assurance of PF’s technological protection and environmental safety in the areas adjacent to PF. The use of threshold probability of beyond design basis accident as the main probabilistic criterion is substantiated for decision making on whether to consider the external natural factors impact on PF or not. Along with it, is shown that the specified levels of probability of various natural factors occurrence should be revised upwards with account of detailed computations of accident scenarios at a PF. It is noted that risk management of PF exposure to external natural impacts should stipulate that monitoring of such factors should be arranged and carried out.