Chemical facilities should consider their susceptibility to natural disasters and extreme weather events just as they would assess the integrity of pipes and production equipment, according to the US Chemical Safety Board. The recommendation was part of the board’s final report on a chemical fire in Texas during Hurricane Harvey Thursday. Rainfall during the hurricane cut off power used to keep warehouses cool. The report also called on firms to “assess seismic hazard maps to determine the risk of earthquakes and consider the risk of other extreme weather such as high-wind events”.
Chemical facilities should consider their susceptibility to natural disasters and extreme weather events just as they would assess the integrity of pipes and production equipment, according to the US Chemical Safety Board. The recommendation was part of the board’s final report on a chemical fire in Texas during Hurricane Harvey last year. Rainfall during the hurricane cut off power used to keep warehouses cool. The report also called on firms to “assess seismic hazard maps to determine the risk of earthquakes and consider the risk of other extreme weather such as high-wind events”.