A systematic review of Resilience Engineering applications to Natech accidents in the chemical and process industry

Abstract

The threat of natural hazards and their devastating consequences is challenging the resilience of society. Especially in industrial areas, where relevant quantities of hazardous materials are handled, natural hazards may trigger severe technological accidents (Natech). Resilience Engineering (RE) principles have been recently introduced in the context of process safety and Natech accidents, aiming at the development of systems able to withstand and rapidly recover from unexpected events. A systematic review of the literature addressing the application of resilience drivers to the framework of Natech assessment and management was carried out, providing a critical evaluation of strategies, methods, and tools proposed for resilience to Natech events. The study focused on chemical and process industries and related sectors, as the petrochemical and energy industry, analysing both quantitative and qualitative approaches. The fundamental aspects necessary to develop methods and tools for the quantitative resilience assessment of industrial facilities facing natural hazards have been identified. These mainly address the phases of the resilience evolution process (REP), the features of Natech scenarios, and the resilience metrics. Gaps and limitations in the state of the art, deserving attention in future research, were identified and discussed. These include the development of a detailed framework for the REP, a comprehensive assessment of the post-accident phases, and the integration of specific features of Natech scenarios. Other important aspects identified are the need to bridge the gap between qualitative and quantitative methods and the importance of developing a multidimensional approach to achieve a comprehensive understanding and assessment of the resilience of facilities exposed to natural hazards.