The evaluation of the inherent safety of substances in the loss of control of chemical processes

A specific approach was developed for the assessment of the hazard profile of the decomposition products of a substance, aimed to address the problem in the framework of the development of inherently safer chemical processes. The hazard profile of the decomposition products was described taking into account the different categories of possible hazards due to the release of these products: acute and long-term hazard for humans, ecosystems damage, environmental media contamination. Specific risk indexes were defined to assess the potential impacts of the decomposition products those associated to the primary substance. The results obtained from the application of the methodology allow the preliminary identification of the types of hazard associated to accidental scenarios involving the decomposition of the substance of interest.