New report to lay foundation for developing legislation on explosives safety

The final report now published is part of a research project funded by the Ministry of Defence. Titled “Quantitative risk analysis of explosives facilities and its applications in decision making”, it is a fundamental assessment of the quantitative risk analysis (QRA) of explosives and the procedures by which QRA has been introduced in legislation in some control countries.  While providing information and perspectives for debates at the national level, the report also provides a basis for developing legislation on explosives safety. The study was carried out in cooperation between VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland Ltd and Aalto University. 

Research encourages national debates and comparison of alternatives

The study compares different methods developed for quantitative risk analysis of explosives sites, which have been developed in many different parts of the world. The comparison has been assisted by literary and regulatory reviews, national and international expert interviews and contacts, and the views of Finnish experts.  The methods vary greatly, for example, in their area of use, level of detail, in the results produced and their usability.

According to the report, the selection and development of a potential method should be based on both the requirements that the method must meet and the superiority criteria that indicate how good each method is compared to something else. The requirements help to eliminate those methods that are not suitable for Finland's conditions and the intended purpose. The comparison criteria, on the other hand, support the final choice. 

The methods used on the civilian and military sides are broadly similar, the calculated risk magnitude and, for example, the effects of the explosions to be analysed are the same. The differences in analyses relate to differences in areas of application.

Report: “Quantitative risk analysis of explosives facilities and its applications in decision making”    (Report in Finnish, abstract in Finnish)

Inquiries:

Ilkka Karanta, Head of Research Project, VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland Ltd, 

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