Domino effect analysis in industrial sites

Abstract : Among all industrial accidents, those involving domino effects, that means the complex escalation and propagation of an accident in chemical and process industries, are amongst the most damaging. This kind of accident can lead to consequences over the population and the environment around the installations involved. For example, catastrophic accidents can be mentioned as that in Feyzin (1966), in Mexico City (1984), in Tianjin (2015). The good knowledge of cascading effects and their management is a real issue within an industrial site. This article introduces an approach developed by INERIS to better understand domino effects and help writers to integrate domino effects in hazard studies or in specific domino effect studies. This approach proposes the identification and assessment of domino scenarios. It follows work accomplished since 2002 about structural resistance due to accidental load.