EXTERNAL PUBLICATIONS

SUMMARY

The immediate risk to the surrounding population from an installation storing hazardous materials often depends upon the dispersion of vapour from a range of potential release events. The hazard ranges and areas covered by the dispersing releases will depend in turn on the nature of the release, and on the particular features of the source. Although the provision of secondary containment is designed to mitigate the impact of any release, the effect on hazard ranges and risks is not always well understood. This report reviews the types of secondary containment available within the chemical industry, the extent of their use and the guidance and Codes of Practice currently applied. It also addresses the issues of risk mitigation, including a review and discussion of methods of calculating the advantageous effects of secondary containment, and aims to provide a better understanding of the effects of such containment on the risk from an installation.

This report and the work it describes were funded by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). Its contents, including any opinions and/or conclusions expressed, are those of the authors alone and do not necessarily reflect HSE policy.