Accident consequence assessment of benzene leakage from storage tank in a chemical park in Bengbu City, China

Abstract

Benzene is widely used in chemical industries and has a high potential to cause damage. The release of benzene from storage tanks can generate threats to workers, facilities, and the environment. The effects and consequences of benzene release from a storage tank during the dry and rainy seasons were investigated with the Areal Locations of Hazardous Atmospheres (ALOHA) software program. Risk distributions were obtained through threat zones classified by red, orange, and yellow colors. The results showed that the maximum hazard areas related to benzene vapor cloud and flammability in rainy seasons were greater than those in the dry seasons. There was no significant difference in the consequences of the thermal radiation from pool fire and the Boiling Liquid Expanding Vapor Explosion (BLEVE) scenario in both the rainy and dry seasons. The maximum threat zones were determined to be 2200 and 305 m for the toxic benzene vapor cloud and the flammable area, respectively. The consequences of the pool fire and BLEVE scenario of benzene were at a distance of 101 and 3600 m from the storage tank, respectively. This study is expected to play an important role for decision‐makers in preventing benzene‐related accident risks and to reducing loss.