Domino Effects In Process Hazard Analysis

Domino effects produce hazard scenarios that involve escalating consequences as a chain of linked events propagates throughout and beyond the process where they originate. Such scenarios have played a role in numerous incidents. Their consequences are amongst the greatest that can occur in process facilities. Domino scenarios often involve multiple fatalities and have destroyed entire facilities. Such scenarios have been the subject of accident survey studies and quantitative risk analyses but their identification in process hazard analysis (PHA) has received much less attention.

This paper discusses the nature and types of domino effects that are possible and provides a procedure to address them in PHA.