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Specific research programmes (EEC) to be implemented by the Joint Research Centre - Industrial hazards -, 1992-1994

 
Part of the third Framework programme for Community activities in the field of research and technological development (1990 to 1994) under subactivity II.3.: "Environment", the programme continues and builds on work carried out in the previous JRC programmes in the field of industrial hazards.

Given the interdisciplinary character of safety-related problems and the research required for their solution, the work should result in:
- The development and verification of reference calculation tools in those areas in which the complexity and nature of events to be analyzed demand a harmonized approach in the Member States;
- Addressing the accident prevention issue in the following areas: Validation and further improvement of construction norms and standards, structural diagnostic and reliability, and validation and harmonization of inspection procedures;
- Providing response/rescue organizations with promptly available information and research results to help in an actual emergency, plus the data acquisition and management to facilitate post-accident analysis and mitigation.

New decision support models for environmental planning, based on communication and negotiation and exploiting the concept of hypertext technology, will be investigated. The particular problem of risk allocating, taking into consideration the socio-economical vulnerability of the environment, will be tackled, developing a new approach based on hazard syndrome indicators and environmental risk profiles. One goal is to have in 1993 a full geographical information system integrated in a decision support system (DSS).

Previous research indicates the need to study the risk communication process in detail. To this end, empirical studies are being carried out in key areas.

The investigation of risk management problems stemming from the transportation of dangerous products is continuing. Previous research has produced a computer-based Transportation Risk Management system (TRIM), based on sample regions. The research into transportation patterns, substances and qualities of hazardous material is being extended to all EC Member States, with the aim of evaluating the overall risk contributions to man and the environment from this source. The goal is to have a DSS ready in 1993, capable of evaluating the overall risk from the transportation of hazardous materials to a given plant or to a given branch of industry.
To enhance the safety and reliability assessment of industrial hazards, to improve the management and prevention of risks in the light, inter alia, of human factors, to devise ways of coping with uncontrolled reactions and to reduce the risk of transporting dangerous products, such as chemicals, throughout Europe.
Five research areas:

- Reliability and safety of industrial and technical systems (Institute for Systems Engineering and Informatics, Ispra):
To improve environmental planning, policy making and risk management by performing relevant theoretical and practical studies related to the development of decision support systems (DDS), including models for distributed decisions, integration of DDS with different types of information systems, and studies of multi-actor, multi-objective environmental problems, both for fixed installations and transportation;

- Simulation of chemical batch processes (Institute for Safety Technology, Ispra):
Development and experimental validation of comprehensive models for the numerical simulation of chemical batch processes under normal and off-normal operation conditions, and integration of these models into advanced methodologies for efficient process optimization and prevention of uncontrolled thermal excursions;

- Venting/MPMC (Institute for Safety Technology, Ispra):
Development and experimental validation of models for the simulation of the discharge of flashing fluids from pressure vessels, comprising:
. Experimental studies of the physical phenomena in the Multiphase-Multicomponent (MPMC) facility and in flow visualization design;
. Development of the computer code RELIEF for vent system design;
. Advancement of the modelling methods for multiphase flow.

- Vapour cloud dispersion and combustion (Institute for Safety Technology, Ispra):
. Development and further improvement of computer models describing dispersion of denser- than-air vapour clouds in irregular terrains with obstacles;
. Development of advanced numerical tools which simulate multicomponent, multidimensional gas flows undergoing chemical reactions, and which describe detonation and deflagration processes;

- Fluid dynamics and transport processes (Institute for Safety Technology, Ispra):
. To provide a contribution to the understanding of the phenomena related to man-made environmental and climate problems, and to contribute to the solution of fluid dynamics and transport problems.
The Commission, assisted by the Board of Governors of the Joint Research Centre (JRC), is responsible for carrying out the programme by means of the services of the JRC and in parallel with other relevant specific programmes of the third Framework programme (1990-1994).

The programme comprises research and technological development (RTD) projects and accompanying measures. The RTD projects are carried out in collaboration and in concert, whenever feasible, with national research bodies in the Member States, taking into account as far as possible regional development aspects of RTD activities and their potential socio-economic effects. Particular attention will be paid to associations with industry, notably with SMEs, in collaborative schemes around the projects.

Research on the reliability and safety of industrial and technical systems and on environmental planning is carried out by the Institute for Systems Engineering and Informatics (ISEI) at Ispra. Research in other areas is carried out by the Institute for Safety Technology (IST), also at Ispra.

The Commission is authorized to negotiate international agreements with third country members of COST, in particular member countries of the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) and Central and Eastern European countries, with a view to associating them with the programme. However, no contracting body based outside the Community may benefit from the Community financing granted to the programme. Such a body shall contribute to the general administrative costs.

Research projects open to international cooperation shall include cooperation measures with international research laboratories and make provision for the exchange of researchers. Supplementary measures should allow cooperation with research laboratories and institutions located in the countries of Central and Eastern Europe.

The total funds estimated as necessary for the execution of the JRC's specific programmes in the field of the environment (Environmental Protection, Application of Remote Sensing Techniques, Industrial Hazards, Centre for Earth Observations) amount to ECU 148.5 million, 6% of which may be used for exploratory research. A sum representing 1% of the total JRC budget for 1992-1994 is reserved as a contribution from the JRC's specific programmes to the centralized action on dissemination and exploitation of results (VALUE II).

Knowledge gained through the realization of the projects will be disseminated by the programme itself as well as by the centralized action.

The Commission shall each year before 31 March present to the European Parliament, the Council and the Economic and Social Committee a report on the implementation of the programme, together with the observations of the Board of Governors. At the end of the programme an evaluation of the research shall be conducted by a group of independent external experts and a report on the evaluation, accompanied by the opinion of the Board of Governors, shall be forwarded to these same bodies.