Optimizing safety of control rooms in case of flammable releases

Flammable releases from process plants present risks of structural damage to control rooms which may result in injury or fatality of personnel with subsequent loss of control of the plant. Several codes and standards have been developed on blast-proof design of control rooms which rely on a prescriptive approach to separation distances and strength of building on the basis of a broad classification of hazard categories. This paper reviews an alternative approach to control room design based on risk analysis results. The approach provides a quantitative framework within which safety benefits of various degrees of structural strengths or control room locations can be evaluated, and assists in determining cost-effective solutions.