Major hazard installations such as gas terminals and refineries will typically have several buildings located within their boundaries. Often this is to support workers being located close to the hazards that they are managing without exposing them to undue risk. As such, it is important that operators recognise their responsibility and ensure these buildings – normally referred to as ‘occupied buildings’ – are designed considering the hazards within their vicinity. These buildings should provide the necessary protection to their occupants should an accident occur. On the other hand, it is important to note that if the building did not exist, the case for their workers being located on the facility – typically for up to 12 hours at a time – may not have been supported from a risk tolerability perspective.
An occupied buildings risk assessment (OBRA) is a natural input in the process of specifying buildings and demonstrating that risks to workers are as low as reasonably practicable (ALARP).
Safeti – DNV’s solution for consequence and risk modelling of loss of containment events – is tailored for safety professionals responsible for performing OBRA.
