New guide to help manage risks from technological accidents triggered by natural hazards

There is growing awareness that natural hazards can have significant impacts on the safety of industrial assets and operations. Natural hazards, such as lightning, high and low temperature, landslides, earthquakes, or floods, can cause accidents with the release of hazardous substances, fires or explosions. These accidents are also known as natural hazard triggered technological accidents or Natech accidents.

Industrial installations that process, store or handle hazardous substances can be vulnerable to the impact of natural hazards. Recent Natech accidents around the globe have had a significant impact on human lives, the environment, infrastructure, regional security and economic development.

For example, in 2017, the flooding of a chemical plant handling organic peroxides in the United States following massive rainfall from Hurricane Harvey triggered a blackout and loss of refrigeration, causing a fire and resulting in the exposure of first responders to toxic fumes, and necessitating evacuation of the population from an area of over a 2.4 km radius.

In 2011, a major earthquake in Japan triggered multiple fires and explosions at a refinery’s petroleum storage tank farm. Fires burned for 10 days and the refinery returned to full operation only two years later.

Climate change will increase Natech risk

Climate change can increase the intensity and the frequency of natural hazards, and possibly affect the location of natural hazards with potentially unprecedented and unexpected impacts on these installations. This should be taken into account when analysing Natech risks.

Effective Natech risk management requires strong leadership in industry and public authorities

OECD, the UN Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) and the JRC have joined forces to develop a guidance to inform senior leaders in industry and public authorities of Natech risk and to support them in setting direction for implementing respective risk reduction measures, including the integration of Natech risk management into corporate governance strategies and national policies.

Senior leaders in industry and public authorities have a critical role to play in ensuring the appropriate delivery and governance of Natech risks, especially in a changing risk landscape due to climate change. Awareness raising, active engagement and informed decision-making can facilitate effective Natech risk management.

The guide provides recommendations for action on risk awareness and risk governance, prevention, preparedness and response to Natech accidents, communication among industry, public authorities and beyond, leadership of a multidisciplinary team, and international and transboundary considerations.

What is the Natech risk management performance of your organisation?

The guide also includes self-assessment checklists that should help senior leaders to gauge how prepared their organisation is in managing Natech risk effectively. This includes evaluating how well Natech risks are implemented in an industry’s process safety management system. The checklists also help public authorities understand if natural hazard impacts on a hazardous installation are fully considered in their safety strategy, and in inspection and enforcement measures.