Course objectives and scope

DNV GL's four-session online offering of the accredited expert course provides an understanding of dispersion, explosions and fires following the accidental release of flammable gases and liquids. The online course uses video material from historical and current experimental research at DNV GL Spadeadam Research & Testing, combined with reference to major accidents, to provide a practical understanding of the physical mechanisms and their relevance to process safety.

The course is accredited by the IChemE and counts as 9.5 hours of continued professional development (CPD).

Course content

Online lectures (via Teams) will cover the following three topics:

Lecture 1: Outflow and dispersion, including:

• Factors affecting fluid outflow from a loss of containment event
• Important considerations on vapour production, dispersion and build-up of flammable clouds
• Relevance to releases on onshore and offshore facilities and from pipelines.
  
  

Lecture 2 (a): Explosion mechanisms

• Why and when we get damaging overpressures
• Major vapour cloud explosions and relevance of deflagration to detonation transition in real site conditions.

Lecture 2 (b): Explosion effects

• Selection of modelling tools for explosions and their effects
• Explosion loading and mitigation.

Lecture 3 Fires, including:

• Types of fires
• Fire characteristics and how these relate to the potential consequences and mitigation for real facilities
• Modelling of fire events.

The relevance of the technical aspects will be reinforced with workshops focused on several major accidents coupled with sessions to prompt discussion and further leaning on particular topics.

Who should attend

The course is suitable for those who require a greater depth of knowledge regarding dispersion, explosions and fires, including:

• Safety managers/representatives
• Hazard assessment engineers
• Technical safety engineers
• Incident investigators
• Major hazards researchers
• Insurance loss assessors.