Lessons Learned from Large-Scale Manmade Disasters and Accidents. Dr. I. Kuz’min, Dr. V. A. Akimov, and Dr. S. V. Khetagurov, Emercom of Russia, Davidkovskaia Str., 7, Moskow, 121352, Russia, telephone/fax (7095) 443-24-85, e-mail kuzmin@quest.net.kiae.su
A comparative analysis of large-scale manmade disasters and accidents that have occurred in diverse branches of human activities to identify the common features inherent in the progress of these different accident and disasters as well as in the behaviour of the individuals involved (professionals, officials of administrative and control boards) has been made. In the analysis a number of accidents including the one that took place at Eravo oil-refining sea floating platform (vessel) (1979); Three Mile Island accident at nuclear power plant in USA (1979); accidents at Bhopal chemical plant in India (1984) and at Chernobyl nuclear power station (1986) as well as the accident at "Komsomoletz" nuclear-powered submarine that went down in Norwegian Sea (1989) have been used.
The comparative analysis has demonstrated that up the present, an overwhelming portion of budget allotted to industrial safety, has been spent on improving the technical means for control and prevention of industrial plants, guite a negligible portion being spent on elaboration of risk management methodologies.
At the same time the investigation of causes that resulted in large-scale accidents in the last years has demonstrated that among these causes those ones relating to drawbacks in risk management are of paramount importance, insufficient professional training of the personnel being less responsible for these accidents. The least contribution is made by drawbacks in technical control means utilized for ensurance of safety operation of industrial plants.
Taking into consideration the above-mentioned statements, the necessity of re-allotment of costs spent on safety provision from the branch controlling the development of technical means for safe operation in industry, to the branch controlling the risk management has been substantiated.
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