1,721,009 research outputs found
Terrorist actions in the transport of dangerous goods in urban areas
No full textRecent historical events have shown that the number of terroristic actions has increased in these last years, furthermore the analysis of accidental scenarios caused by terrorist attacks or sabotage during the handling and the transportation of dangerous goods shows a significant number of this type of event.
In the past the hypothesis of terrorist attack or sabotage had an almost negligible value and, generally, these events were considered security themes rather than safety matters, today, the value of the frequency for such an «accidental scenario» has become significant. Therefore it is obvious that a complete risk analysis must include the potential scenarios caused by terrorist attack or sabotage and therefore it must evaluate the increase of the risk level due to these events.
As well as chemical plants and storage tanks, characterized by the presence of large quantities of dangerous substances, also road/rail tankers used for the transport of such goods constitute a potential target, moreover the hazard associated with transportation depends on the vulnerability of the territory.
This paper focuses attention on the description of a methodology for the analysis of incidental scenarios caused by terrorist attacks and the identification of some aspects to improve. Finally an application of this method has been shown.
Furthermore in order to obtain a complete risk risk aanalysis, it is necessary to take into account that, beyond substances transported, risk the consequences depends on the modality of the attach, the characteristic of infrastructure and territor
Risk assessment of explosive atmospheres in workplaces
No full textThe application of the Directive 99/92/EC deals with the safety and health protection of workers
potentially exposed to explosive atmospheres and requires the assessment of explosion risks. These can arise
by the release of inflammable substances typical of industries classified as major hazards, but they often may
be generated in other industries where inflammable materials are handled. Risk assessment of explosive
atmospheres is required in both cases, for this purpose, in this article a quantitative approach has been
proposed. The paper describes the main aspects of the methodology, based on a probabilistic risk assessment,
and finally its application to a case-study
The assessment of human health impact caused by industrial and civil activities in the Pace Valley of Messina
No full textThe impact of industrial and civil activities on an agricultural and residential area is presented in a detailed
and global analysis. The examined area is the Pace river valley situated in the northern zone of Messina
(Italy). The sources of pollution present in the area are: a Municipal Solid Waste Incinerator operating since
1979, a disused urban solid waste landfill which was used for 30 years, an urban solid waste treatment facility
with heavy vehicles traffic, and two open pits for the production of bitumen. Large quantities of toxic,
carcinogenic substances and criteria pollutants are released into the environment and represent potential
hazards to human health. The analysis is performed using the EHHRA-GIS tool which employs an integrated,
multimedia, multi-exposure pathways and multi-receptor risk assessment model that is able to manage all
the steps which constitute the human health risk analysis in a georeferenced structure. The transport of
pollutants in different environmental media is assessed applying models (AERMOD, GMS, CALINE) that take
into account the particular three-dimensional morphology of the terrain. The results obtained, combined
with a probabilistic risk assessment and a sensitivity analysis of calculation parameters, are a comprehensive
assessment of the total human health risk in the area. Finally human health risks caused by toxic and
carcinogenic substances are compared with acceptable legal limits in order to support environmental
managers' decisions
Risk evaluation in workplaces characterized by potential explosion hazards
No full textThe Directive 99/92/EC deals with the safety and health protection of workers potentially exposed at explosive atmospheres. Its application requires the assessment of specific risks due to the presence of potentially explosive atmospheres. These can generally be originated by releases of flammable substances and are typical of industries classified at major hazard, they often could be generated also in other industries where flammable materials are handling. Risk assessment of explosive atmospheres is required by the legislation. In this article a quantitative approach is presented. The paper describes the main aspects of the methodology, based on a probabilistic risk assessment, its application to a case-study and finally some criteria to judge the acceptability of the risk
Analysis of incidental scenarios in the transport of dangerous goods including terrorist attacks
No full textAn example of quantification of the increase of risk level due to attacks terroristic in the transportation of dangerous goods
No full textIn this work, in order to evaluate the risk associated with the transport of dangerous goods including scenarios caused by terrorist attacks, attention has been focused on an urban area. The study has been applied to the downtown of Messina, located in Sicily.
The territory of Sicily is characterised by a high concentration of chemical plants, mainly petrochemical and refineries, and thus is an area with a great risk of industrial accidents; in addition to this there are several natural risk sources.
Petrochemical and refinery plants process about 50·106 t/yr of oil. This causes an over-production compared to the regional needs, and therefore a large part of these substances is exported; thus the region is characterised by an inflow of raw materials and an outflow of final products.
As a consequence there are urban areas subject to an intense traffic of hazardous materials and safety cannot be ensured.
The paper focuses attention on the application of the quantitative risk analysis to the case study, in order to evaluate the risk associated with the transport of dangerous goods including scenarios caused by terrorist attacks in an urban area. A complete inventory of dangerous substances was the basis of a complete risk analysis.
The study has been applied to the case study focusing attention on two types of incidental events, explosions and toxic dispersions.
The work has permitted the quantification of the increase of the risk level associated with terrorist attacks in the transportation of dangerous goods using an appropriate approach and then the damage areas have identified.
The proposed approach will allow the definition of appropriate emergency procedure for this kind of event and protection measures for potential targets
Going Beyond Counting First Authors in Author Co-citation Analysis
Full text linkThe present study examines one of the fundamental aspects of author co-citation analysis (ACA) - the way co-citation
counts are defined. Co-citation counting provides the data on which all subsequent statistical analyses and mappings
are based, and we compare ACA results based on two different types of co-citation counting - the traditional type that
only counts the first one among a cited work's authors on the one hand and a non-traditional type that takes into
account the first 5 authors of a cited work on the other hand. Results indicate that the picture produced through this non-traditional author co-citation counting contains more coherent author groups and is therefore considerably clearer. However, this picture represents fewer specialties in the research field being studied than that produced through the traditional first-author co-citation counting when the same number of top-ranked authors is selected and analyzed. Reasons for these effects are discussed
Variations on the Author
Full text link“Variations on the Author” discusses two of Eduardo Coutinho’s recent films (Um Dia na Vida, from 2010, and Últimas Conversas, posthumously released in 2015) and their contribution to the general question of documentary authorship. The director’s filmography is characterized by a consistent yet self-effacing form of authorial self-inscription: Coutinho often features as an interviewer that rather than express opinions propels discourses; an interviewer that is good at listening. This mode of self-inscription characterizes him as an author who is not expressive but who is nonetheless markedly present on the screen. In Um Dia na Vida, however, Coutinho is completely absent form the image, while Últimas Conversas, on the contrary, includes a confessional prologue that moves the director from the margins to the center of his films. This article examines the ways in which these works stand out in the filmography of a director who offers new insights into the notion of cinematic authorship
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