EVALUATING ROUTING ALTERNATIVES FOR TRANSPORTING HAZARDOUS MATERIALS USING SIMPLIFIED RISK INDICATORS AND COMPLETE PROBABILISTIC RISK ANALYSES

One of the more frequent uses of risk analysis in hazardous materials transportation is in the analysis of alternative routes. The analysis techniques can usually be characterized either as a simplified risk indicator or as a complete probabilistic risk analysis. In the simplified risk indicator approach, factors that are constant (or nearly constant) for all alternatives are neglected to make computations easier. Complete probabilistic risk analysis provides quantitative evaluations of consequences such as fatalities or injuries, as well as the associated frequencies. Gaining the increased level of information provided by complete probabilistic risk analysis requires more effort at greater cost than does a simplified risk indicator analysis. Both analysis techniques were used to study one railroad and two highway routes for transporting chlorine. None of the simplified risk indicators used produced a ranking of alternatives consistent with the ranking of the complete probabilistic risk analysis for both transport modes. For the truck transport mode, one risk indicator produced results consistent with the complete probabilistic risk analysis results. The validity of the simplified risk indicator approach depends on understanding the assumptions associated with the indicator selected.

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• Supplemental Notes:
  • This paper appears in Transportation Research Record No. 1264, Transportation of Hazardous Materials 1990. Distribution, posting, or copying of this PDF is strictly prohibited without written permission of the Transportation Research Board of the National Academy of Sciences. Unless otherwise indicated, all materials in this PDF are copyrighted by the National Academy of Sciences. Copyright © National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved
• Authors:
  • Rhyne, William R
• Publication Date: 1990

Media Info

• Features: Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: p. 1-11
• Monograph Title: Transportation of hazardous materials 1990
• Serial:
  • Transportation Research Record
  • Issue Number: 1264
  • Publisher: Transportation Research Board
  • ISSN: 0361-1981

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Alternatives analysis; Chlorine; Hazardous materials; Highway transportation; Indicating instruments; Probability; Railroad transportation; Risk analysis; Risk assessment; Routing
• Uncontrolled Terms: Probabilistic analysis
• Old TRIS Terms: Simplified risk indicators
• Subject Areas: Data and Information Technology; Highways; Planning and Forecasting; Railroads; Safety and Human Factors; I72: Traffic and Transport Planning;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00601390
• Record Type: Publication
• ISBN: 0309050219
• Files: TRIS, TRB
• Created Date: Nov 30 1990 12:00AM