Autor(es):
Seixas, Ângela
; Bateira, Carlos
Data: 2011
Identificador Persistente: http://hdl.handle.net/10216/56619
Origem: Repositório Aberto da Universidade do Porto
Assunto(s): Transporte ferroviário - Portugal
Descrição
What differentiates the transport of dangerous substances and preparations from other types of goods transport is, of course, the risk associated with its eventual release during transport, since they can be extremely harmful to the environment and human health. The release of these materials during transport is a hazard, ie a process capable of producing identifiable damages (Julian, RP et al, 2009). Among existing models for hazmat transport risk assessment we focus on two of the most widely used, from ERKUT and VERTER (1995, 1998). According to these, the largest obstacle to developing more accurate models, particularly for the determination of the potentially affected areas (APA), are the limitations of available data on meteorological conditions, topography, the effect of the substance transported in people and locating of these people at the time of the incident. This limitation leads to the use of fixed limits specified by the Emergency Response Guidebook. On this purpose, there is free software very easy to use, for the determination of APAs, as ALOHA (Areal Locations of Hazardous Atmospheres), produced by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. We test this software and show that important differences occur as parameters on the type and quantity of hazmat, the characteristics of the area for the type of occupancy, weather conditions and topography are included or not.