Computer aided transportation risk assessment

The assessment of the hazard represented by the transportation of dangerous goods is the only reasonable basis for any policy of risk management and reduction. The use of such a quantitative approach, on the other hand, requires both the acquisition and the manipulation of a very large number of information: these steps are always time-consuming and seldom very accurate, since the need of limiting the calculation burden generally imposes the use of simplifying assumptions. This work presents a computer aided approach to transportation risk analysis coupling a risk assessment program with a Geographic Information System (GIS), providing accurate local information. The obtained benefits are more accurate risk estimates, a substantial cut of the time required to perform the analysis, a simplification of the data input step, and the possibility of displaying the results on the area map, together with other information, useful in the case of an emergency (location of fire brigades stations, hospitals, etc.). © 2000 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.