GCRI · Advanced Industry and Robotics
Industrial process safety
Process safety prevents the fires, explosions and toxic releases that can occur when plants handle hazardous substances at scale. Major accidents are rare, but their consequences for workers, neighbours and the environment can be catastrophic. This page sets out how major accidents develop, how process safety is managed and measured, and what evidence serves the operators, regulators and communities responsible.
How the work runs.
Plant operations and safety
Industrial process safety · Plant 3 · Shift 1
- OEE, % of planned752Watch
- Safety-critical alarms active3Alert
- Robot cell stops this shift9
- Energy per unit1.3kWhNormal
Barriers
layers of protection
| High-pressure trip | SIS | Q1 | Healthy |
| Relief valve RV-12 | Mechanical | Q2 | Healthy |
| Gas detection zone 4 | Detection | Q3 | Bypassed |
| Robot cell light curtain | Safeguard | Q4 | Healthy |
Reactor pressure
Fig.Plant operations and safety: example names and illustrative values, not a record or a live system.
Industrial process safety: how the risk develops.
Chemical and major accident hazards. The dossier below sets out how the risk develops, what is measured, where the data come from, how it is modelled and who decides.
Barriers fail together
Major accidents usually follow the failure of several safeguards at once: design, alarms, procedures, relief systems and emergency response.
Drift erodes margins
Deferred maintenance, small modifications and normalised deviations gradually erode safety margins until an initiating event finds a gap.
Natural hazards trigger accidents
Floods, earthquakes, lightning and heat can damage equipment and power, triggering releases at multiple points at once.
Neighbours carry consequences
Communities near hazardous sites face the consequences of releases. Land-use planning and public information reduce harm.
Infrastructure exposure in Germany.
Night lights, population density and flood water over Germany, from NASA GIBS. Each layer carries its own date.
The interactive map needs JavaScript; the layer list and sources are below.
Layers 3
Infrastructure exposure, for this page
About this layer
- Evidence
- Observed
- Source
- VIIRS Black Marble (VNP46A2) (NASA LAADS DAAC)
- Provider
- NASA LAADS DAAC
- Licence
- NASA open data
- Vintage
- daily; Satellite radiance, corrected for moonlight and atmosphere
- Newest at build
- 2026-10-12
- Resolution
- about 500 m grid
- Uncertainty
- Satellite night-time radiance for the date shown; lights are a proxy for electricity use and outages, not a measurement of supply or access.
- Reached through
- gibs.earthdata.nasa.gov, only after you allow the live map
About this layer
- Evidence
- Estimated
- Source
- Gridded Population of the World v4.11 (NASA SEDAC (CIESIN, Columbia University))
- Provider
- NASA SEDAC (CIESIN, Columbia University)
- Licence
- CC BY 4.0
- Vintage
- null; Census-based estimate, static (2020)
- Resolution
- about 1 km grid
- Uncertainty
- Census-based estimate of people per square kilometre in 2020, shown as exposure context; not a count of people affected by any hazard.
- Reached through
- gibs.earthdata.nasa.gov, only after you allow the live map
About this layer
- Evidence
- Observed (clouds leave gaps)
- Source
- VIIRS Global Flood Product (NASA LANCE)
- Provider
- NASA LANCE
- Licence
- NASA open data
- Vintage
- daily; Satellite detection; clouds leave gaps
- Newest at build
- 2026-10-14
- Resolution
- about 250 m grid
- Uncertainty
- Satellite detection; clouds leave gaps. Satellite or model raster as the provider publishes it. Clouds, swath gaps and retrieval error leave gaps and noise; values are indicators, not measurements at a place.
- Reached through
- gibs.earthdata.nasa.gov, only after you allow the live map
About this layer
- Evidence
- Observed
- Source
- VIIRS NOAA-20 corrected reflectance (NASA LANCE)
- Provider
- NASA LANCE
- Licence
- NASA open data
- Vintage
- daily; Satellite image
- Newest at build
- 2026-10-14
- Resolution
- about 250 m grid
- Uncertainty
- Satellite image. Satellite or model raster as the provider publishes it. Clouds, swath gaps and retrieval error leave gaps and noise; values are indicators, not measurements at a place.
- Reached through
- gibs.earthdata.nasa.gov, only after you allow the live map
About this layer
- Evidence
- Modelled (latest year GIBS publishes)
- Source
- MODIS Terra and Aqua land cover (MCD12Q1) (NASA LP DAAC)
- Provider
- NASA LP DAAC
- Licence
- NASA open data
- Vintage
- yearly; Satellite classification; latest year GIBS publishes
- Newest at build
- 2024-01-01
- Resolution
- about 500 m grid
- Uncertainty
- Satellite land cover classes for the year shown, including croplands; a classification with known errors, not a farm register.
- Reached through
- gibs.earthdata.nasa.gov, only after you allow the live map
About this layer
- Evidence
- Observed (clouds and overpass timing leave gaps)
- Source
- VIIRS NOAA-20 375 m (FIRMS) (NASA LANCE FIRMS)
- Provider
- NASA LANCE FIRMS
- Licence
- NASA open data
- Vintage
- daily; Satellite detection; clouds and overpass timing leave gaps
- Newest at build
- 2026-10-13
- Resolution
- about 500 m grid
- Uncertainty
- Satellite hot-spot detections for the day shown, including gas flares and industrial heat; not a confirmed fire, an incident report or a warning.
- Reached through
- gibs.earthdata.nasa.gov, only after you allow the live map
Keyboard, with the map focused
Hold Ctrl or ⌘ and scroll to zoom
Latest available
NASA GIBS / EOSDIS · ASTER GDEM (METI, NASA) · Blue Marble (NASA) · © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL) · Natural Earth
Loading the latest NASA imagery.
Drag to move. Ctrl or ⌘ and scroll, pinch or the buttons to zoom; hover for the values under the pointer; reset returns to the region.
Infrastructure exposure, framed on Germany.Satellite and model products as NASA publishes them, each with its own date. They are indicators, not assessments of any place.
Data: NASA GIBS · ASTER GDEM · Blue Marble · © OpenStreetMap contributors · Natural Earth · NASA EONET · U.S. Geological Survey · NASA JPL OPERA DIST-ALERTSources and licences
- We acknowledge the use of imagery provided by services from NASA’s Global Imagery Browse Services (GIBS), part of NASA’s Earth Science Data and Information System (ESDIS). Colours redrawn from the published colour map; values averaged into hexagonal cells where shown (modified). NASA open data
- We acknowledge the use of imagery provided by services from NASA’s Global Imagery Browse Services (GIBS), part of NASA’s Earth Science Data and Information System (ESDIS). Colours redrawn from the published colour map; values averaged into hexagonal cells where shown (modified). NASA open data
- VIIRS Black Marble night-time lights, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center; distributed by the NASA Level-1 and Atmosphere Archive and Distribution System (LAADS DAAC); imagery via NASA GIBS. Colours redrawn from the published colour map; values averaged into hexagonal cells where shown (modified). NASA open data
- Center for International Earth Science Information Network (CIESIN), Columbia University. 2018. Gridded Population of the World, Version 4 (GPWv4): Population Density, Revision 11. NASA Socioeconomic Data and Applications Center (SEDAC). Licensed under CC BY 4.0. Colours redrawn from the published colour map; values averaged into hexagonal cells where shown (modified). doi:10.7927/H49C6VHW. CC BY 4.0
- VIIRS near-real-time products (flood, land surface temperature, snow cover, corrected reflectance), NASA LANCE; imagery via NASA GIBS. Colours redrawn from the published colour map; values averaged into hexagonal cells where shown (modified). NASA open data
- MODIS land products (vegetation indices, gross primary production, land cover), NASA LP DAAC and LANCE; imagery via NASA GIBS. Colours redrawn from the published colour map; values averaged into hexagonal cells where shown (modified). NASA open data
- NASA Fire Information for Resource Management System (FIRMS), VIIRS 375 m active fire product, NASA LANCE; vector tiles via NASA GIBS. Colours redrawn from the published colour map; values averaged into hexagonal cells where shown (modified). NASA open data
- ASTER GDEM is a product of METI and NASA (ASTER Global Digital Elevation Model V003, NASA LP DAAC); imagery via NASA GIBS. Colours redrawn from the published colour map; values averaged into hexagonal cells where shown (modified). Cite as: NASA/METI/AIST/Japan Spacesystems and U.S./Japan ASTER Science Team (2019). ASTER Global Digital Elevation Model V003. doi:10.5067/ASTER/ASTGTM.003. NASA open data
- Made with Natural Earth. Free vector and raster map data @ naturalearthdata.com. Public domain
- © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), via NASA GIBS (coastlines, boundaries, roads and place names). Colours redrawn from the published colour map; values averaged into hexagonal cells where shown (modified). ODbL
- Blue Marble, NASA Earth Observatory; imagery via NASA GIBS. Colours redrawn from the published colour map; values averaged into hexagonal cells where shown (modified). NASA open data
- Context on the globe and flat map: coastlines, boundaries, roads and place names from NASA GIBS reference layers (OpenStreetMap data, ODbL, © OpenStreetMap contributors); Blue Marble imagery as an optional base; 3D terrain and the elevation read-out from the ASTER GDEM elevation colour index (5 m to 200 m classes, exaggerated for legibility). Boundaries are drawn as published and imply no position on any territory.
- Live events: NASA Earth Observatory Natural Event Tracker (EONET); events are indicative and keep their original source links.
- Live: NASA EONET Events are indicative, not authority warnings.
- Live: U.S. Geological Survey Events are indicative, not authority warnings.
- Observed (EO): NASA JPL OPERA DIST-ALERT (contains modified Copernicus Sentinel data 2026). We acknowledge the use of imagery provided by services from NASA’s Global Imagery Browse Services (GIBS), part of NASA’s Earth Science Data and Information System (ESDIS).
- NASA GIBS: We acknowledge the use of imagery provided by services from NASA’s Global Imagery Browse Services (GIBS), part of NASA’s Earth Science Data and Information System (ESDIS).
- River discharge forecast, 30 days with range (GloFAS via Open-Meteo): Contains modified Copernicus Emergency Management Service information 2026; not a flood warning.
- Weather data by Open-Meteo.com (https://open-meteo.com/), licensed under CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
- Optional layers (12 sources in the layer list: live, forecast, observed and context) print their provider credit on the map and here when switched on; forecasts are model output and derived indices are estimates.
Layers and dates
- Night-time lights, daily: VIIRS Black Marble (VNP46A2), NASA LAADS DAAC · 12 Oct 2026
- Population density, 2020: Population: CIESIN, Columbia University, Gridded Population of the World v4.11 (2018), NASA SEDAC, CC BY 4.0 · static
- Flood water, 3-day composite: VIIRS Global Flood Product, NASA LANCE · 14 Oct 2026
- True colour: VIIRS NOAA-20 corrected reflectance, NASA LANCE · 13 Oct 2026
- Land cover type (IGBP), yearly: MODIS Terra and Aqua land cover (MCD12Q1), NASA LP DAAC · 2024
- Active fires and thermal anomalies: VIIRS NOAA-20 375 m (FIRMS), NASA LANCE FIRMS · 13 Oct 2026
Process safety failures reach water, air and communities.
Process safety lessons are designed for the Global Sector Risk and Resilience series. Seveso III, ILO Convention No. 174 and the OECD Guiding Principles (third edition, 2023) set the frame; operator lessons are published only with agreement.
- Lessons learned from incidents.
- Natech (natural hazard triggered) accident cases.
Model industrial process safety as a system. Run the cascade.
Assembled from the Nexus Standards area profile Industry and manufacturing: the hazards it names, the systems and sectors that carry the loss, the controls that dampen it and the data that observe it. Choose the components, pick an initiating hazard and step through the cascade. The Map view places the run on an example geography with open data. Every coupling weight is a stated assumption you can change. A teaching model, not a forecast, an assessment or a certification. To model a place of your own choosing, open the full System Builder.
Hazards
- Natech event
- Dam failure
- River flood (set off downstream)
- Flash flood (set off downstream)
- Mass displacement (set off downstream)
- Chemical spill or leak (set off downstream)
- Emergency-response overload (set off downstream)
- Widespread power outage (set off downstream)
- Water supply shortfall (set off downstream)
- Toxic gas release (set off downstream)
- Industrial fire (set off downstream)
Systems and couplings
Controls
NS-0Constitution and principlesNS-9Contextual UNIs (deployments, instances, programme instances)NS-11Verification and monitoring (evidence, attestations, zero-trust conformance observation)NS-12Software, model and AI/ML artefacts (supply chain, model cards, dataset sheets)NRS-H60Hazard family: Supply-chain and flow disruption (NHS-1 sys.supply-chain)NRS-H50Hazard family: Industrial and process accidents (NHS-1 infra.industrial)NRS-H109Hazard family: Energy-transition technology failures (NHS-1 tech.energy-transition)NRS-X10Chemical, industrial, nuclear and radiological safetyNRS-H54Hazard family: Signal and platform disruption (NHS-1 cyber.platform)NRS-K14Domain pack profile: Manufacturing industrial (DOMAIN-014)
Observation
- eMARS Major Accident Reporting System (listed for reference)
- World Development Indicators (listed for reference)
- ILOSTAT (listed for reference)
- Manufacturing value added as a proportion of GDP and per capita
- CO2 emission per unit of value added
- Manufacturing, value added (% of GDP)
- Direct economic loss to all other damaged or destroyed productive assets attributed to disasters
Example geography
- The Strait of Malacca: 227 hexagonal cells
- Night lights tonight, outages (VIIRS Day/Night Band), NASA GIBS
- Surface water through cloud, 30 m (OPERA DSWx-S1 radar), NASA GIBS
- Rain rate, last half hour (IMERG), NASA GIBS
- Surface soil moisture (SMAP), NASA GIBS
What is measured, and how well.
Each indicator carries its unit, its cadence, the kind of source behind it and the evidence label a value would carry. No values are shown: a programme supplies them under its own authority.
| Indicator | Unit | Cadence | Source type | Label |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Process safety events by tier | count per million hours worked | annual | Operator reporting under API RP 754 or similar | REPORTED |
| Major accidents notified | count | annual | eMARS and national databases | Published statistics |
| Overdue safety-critical maintenance | count | monthly | Maintenance systems | OBSERVED |
| Upper-tier major hazard establishments | count | per update | Seveso registers | Published statistics |
| Safety instrumented functions tested on schedule | percent | annual | Test records | OBSERVED |
| Population within hazard zones of major sites | people | per assessment | Land-use planning analyses | ESTIMATED |
How industrial process safety is modelled, measured and tested.
The model, its assumptions, its data and its uncertainty, in the form a scientist or engineer would check. Structures follow published methods. The values drawn are illustrative, not findings.
System model
The couplings between the systems in industrial process safety: signs of influence, a reinforcing and a balancing loop, and cross-links where stress jumps.
Where the evidence comes from.
Named public datasets and institutional records, each with its licence class. Sources by agreement are used only under their terms and never republished.
| Source | What it gives | Licence class |
|---|---|---|
| eMARS major accident reporting system (European Commission JRC) | Reported major accidents and lessons | Public, EU terms |
| US Chemical Safety Board investigation reports | Detailed investigations of chemical accidents | Public domain, US government |
| Seveso establishment registers (eSPIRS) | Major hazard establishments in Europe | Public, EU terms |
| CCPS process safety resources | Industry guidance and metrics | Licence per publication |
| OECD chemical accidents programme | Guidance and lessons learned | Public, OECD terms |
Who decides, and what the evidence serves.
Advanced Industry and Robotics prepares evidence. The decisions below are taken by the authorities named, under their own rules, and never by the platform.
| Who decides | The question | Evidence this page serves |
|---|---|---|
| Operators of hazardous facilities | Which barriers and maintenance to prioritise | Barrier reviews; event data |
| Major hazard regulators | Where to inspect and what to require | Accident and inspection evidence |
| Land-use planners and emergency services | How to plan around major sites | Hazard zone and population evidence |
Outputs this topic produces
- Accident lesson syntheses from public investigations
- Natural-hazard-triggered accident assessments
- Barrier management reviews
- Evidence notes for land-use planning near major sites
What experts ask.
- 01
What could go wrong?
Which loss-of-containment scenarios a facility faces and how severe they could be.
- 02
Which barriers prevent them?
The layers of protection, from design and control to relief systems and emergency response.
- 03
Are the barriers working?
How degradation, maintenance backlogs and change erode protection over time.
- 04
Who is at risk beyond the site?
How land-use planning and emergency arrangements protect neighbouring communities.
What drives the risk.
Major accidents rarely have a single cause. Investigations repeatedly find combinations of design flaws, failed or bypassed safeguards, poor management of change, production pressure and missed warnings. The image of aligned holes in successive barriers captures how latent weaknesses combine.
Low personal injury rates do not indicate good process safety. Organisations that measure only slips and trips can miss the degradation of critical safeguards. Leading indicators of barrier health are needed.
Natural hazards can trigger industrial accidents. Floods, earthquakes, extreme heat and lightning can damage containment and disable safeguards at the moment emergency services are stretched.
Transitions bring new hazards. Hydrogen, ammonia, batteries and new chemicals used in the energy transition have properties that existing practice may not fully address.
How evidence is gathered, and where it stops.
| Method or data | What it shows | Its limit |
|---|---|---|
| Hazard identification studies | Credible accident scenarios | Depend on imagination and expertise |
| Consequence modelling | Extent of fires, blasts and toxic clouds | Sensitive to weather and release assumptions |
| Layer of protection analysis | Adequacy of safeguards | Uses generic failure data |
| Accident investigation | Root causes of past events | Lessons often not transferred across firms |
How it is studied, and what the methods cannot say.
- 01Process and industrial safety engineeringHazard and operability studies · Layer of protection analysis · Management of changeApplied here
- 02Systems engineeringIntegrated safety and security requirements · Factory and site acceptance testingApplied here
- 03Sensors, IoT and observation networksCondition monitoring · In-line quality inspection · Securing connected sensorsApplied here
- 04Water and environmental engineeringEmission control selection · Industrial wastewater treatment · Community exposure monitoringApplied here
Where this page’s references lead.
The bodies and documents this page is read against. Status and editions change; each link goes to the issuing body.
Questions and answers.
What is process safety?
What is the Seveso Directive?
What is a Natech accident?
Does the platform investigate accidents?
Why distinguish process safety from occupational safety?
Can a site share incident data with the platform?
Contribute evidence from this page.
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