Natech risk management

This publication of Common Inspection Criteria is intended to share knowledge about technical and organizational measures and enforcement practices related to major hazard control and implementation of the Seveso Directive. The criteria were developed by Seveso inspectors to aid the dissemination of good enforcement and risk management practices for the control of major industrial hazards in Europe and elsewhere. This particular topic highlights the issues that are critical for Natech risk management. Note that this document is not intended as a technical standard nor as a summary or replacement of any existing standards on the matter.

Even if a Natech accident does not occur right after the natural-hazard impact, facilities should restore normal operations safely. The start-up of major industrial processes is a hazardous phase in itself, even more so after the impact of a natural hazard. It is conceivable that some damage caused by the event may not be immediately noticeable, or that conditions are not safe for a restart (e.g. equipment soaked in water). It is therefore extremely important that procedures for start-up include actions that take into account possible prior natural-hazard damage, such as, in particular:

• Checking for damaged equipment, tanks, and instrumentation before starting up;

• Waiting until essential personnel who suffered injuries have recovered or were replaced.

As with other procedures, post-natural-hazard startup procedures should be kept up-to-date.