Project 095: SAFETIC - Safe transportation and installations using chemicals

Context

The storage, use and transportation of chemicals is crucial in sectors vital for economic development. However, major-accidents (fires, explosions, and release of toxic substances) involving dangerous chemicals pose a constant threat to humans, environment, and the economy. A series of major industrial and transportation accidents underscores the need for better management and prevention of chemical risks. African countries are particularly vulnerable to these threats. In the African Atlantic Façade (AAF) region, partner countries have achieved significant progress in managing the risks associated with hazardous installations and the transportation of chemicals, thanks to the P41, P69 INSTASUR and P71 SECTRANS projects. However, they expressed the need to pursue and consolidate these efforts, in order to fully implement tools enabling a better assessment of industrial risks and facilitate the adoption of prevention, protection and response measures.

Overall objective

This project aims to finalise the regulatory, institutional, and operational framework to mitigate the industrial risks linked to facilities and transportation of dangerous goods in the AAF region.

Building on P41, P69 and P71, the AAF concludes its cycle aimed at enhancing partner countries’ capacity to prevent major chemical accidents and ensure effective preparedness and response in the installations or during the transportation.

Specific objectives

• To formalise the relevant legal framework
• To strengthen the capacities to assess risks and draft safety reports.
• To assess the potential consequences of a chemical accident.
• To draft emergency plans in case of transportation or industrial accidents.
• To ensure appropriate preparedness and response.
• To provide a framework for an effective and sustainable regional cooperation.

Concrete activities

• Facilitate workshops led by local experts to shape the legal framework.
• Guide local experts in drafting safety reports on 3 key hazards: fire, explosion, and the release of toxic substances.
• Assess physical and toxic effects and associated damages with the ADAM software tool developed by the JRC.
• Enhance the skills of all local experts to effectively respond in case of industrial and transportation accidents.
• Develop and test emergency plans through crisis management exercises by local experts at 3 installations.
• Establish a regional training network to ensure local expertise is readily available across the region. 

Expected results

• Improvement of the legal framework on high-risk chemical facilities and the transport of dangerous goods.
• Strengthened capacities to draft safety documents on the high-risk chemical facilities and the transport of dangerous goods
• capacities to respond in case of industrial and transportation accidents.
• Strengthened cooperation at regional level.

Expected achievements

At regional level 

• Creation of a framework to prevent major accidents related to chemical facilities and transportation.
• Development of a guide for drafting safety reports covering three main hazards (fire, explosion, release of toxic substances).
• Creation of a standard to prepare internal and external emergency plans.
• Organise a two-week regional training session in Mauritania on major accidents, conduct 2 trainings on the Accident Damage Analysis Module (ADAM) tool, conduct 1 regional seminar in Côte d'Ivoire on safety reports and emergency plans including a field crisis management exercise.
• Drafting of a guide on high-risk installations inspection.
• Design and implementation of an e-learning platform.

In each partner country 

• Formalised legal framework on high-risk installations and transportation of dangerous goods.
• 3 safety reports drafted by local experts with the support of the international experts.
• 6 emergency internal and external plans on high-risk facilities developed by local experts with international support.
• 1 emergency plan on transportation of dangerous goods performed by local experts with international support.
• 6 crisis management exercises (tabletop or field) led by local experts.
• 10 training sessions inside and outside the capital.
• 1 national symposium conducted.