Facility siting methods to optimize the layout of industrial facilities for risk reduction have been evolving for decades from subjective views, standards, and guidelines to quantitative numerical analysis. The authors of this paper have tossed out the past, moved beyond the present, and taken out their crystal balls to provide a discussion around the future of facility siting by focusing on technology driven enhancements associated with three main themes: mainstreaming of current advanced analysis techniques into the base case methodology, incorporating company and/or site specific data trending and analytics to operationalize the studies, and the potential transformational change to machine learning‐based predictive risk management. With technological advancements touching nearly every area of business, it is no surprise that it is also changing the landscape of consequence and risk‐based facility siting approaches. As with all markets, the customer will be a key driver for the advancements of technical safety studies to suit their adapting needs. However, as this article will show, personnel conducting facility siting studies are also using technological advancements to challenge the status quo by improving data fidelity, increasing the robustness and depth of analysis, and providing improved insights to aid decision making.

Mission Critical Buildings (MCB) are buildings that must remain operational in the event of a crisis to minimize risks due to asset damage, business interruption, and personnel impact. MCBs in processing facilities face operational hazards including explosions, fragments, fires, and toxic events. In the CSB's investigation report of the Philadelphia Energy Solutions Refinery incident, a recommendation was included for the API to update its standard to “require protection of critical safeguards and associated control system components from fire and explosion hazards, including radiant heat and flying projectiles.” This recommendation, if implemented, would require facilities to ensure MCBs are Multi‐hazard Resistant Buildings (MRBs) able to withstand a range of potential impacts. This paper details the key design characteristics of MRBs to protect critical assets in industrial processing facilities such as critical safeguards and control systems; emergency response equipment; people critical to operations and emergency response; or people located in buildings near processing units. Key concepts of protective building design are introduced, including the response of different building materials to hazards common in processing facilities. These concepts are then examined to illustrate how building response translates to human and equipment vulnerability.