Application of the HarsMeth methodology as a tool for analysing the chemical accidents reported to the MARS database

This paper presents a comparative analysis between the causes that lead to accidents in the chemical industries, and the issues covered by the hazard assessment methodology HarsMeth. The objective of the report is to identify possible synergies between lessons learned from accident analyses and the requirements that an efficient hazard assessment tool must meet to be reliable. The analysis has been performed on a selection of accidents involving chemical reactivity that have been reported to the MARS database. The main causes have been identified and linked to the different topics included in HarsMeth, referring to specific management or technical issues, in an attempt to identify what areas of a chemical process are more critical as potential causes of accidents.