Guidelines for Selection of Process Incidents1

Incident Characteristic Guideline

Realistic release incidents
Rupture of the largest diameter process pipe as follows:
• For diameters < 50 mm, assume a full bore rupture.
• For diameters 50-200 mm, assume rupture equal to that of
Process Pipes
a 50 mm diameter pipe.
• For diameters > 200 mm, assume rupture area equal to
20% of the pipe cross-sectional area.
Hoses Assume full bore rupture.
Use calculated total release rate at set pressure. Refer to
Pressure relief devices relieving
pressure relief calculation. All material released is assumed
directly to the atmosphere
to be airborne.
Assume a rupture based on the largest diameter process pipe
Vessels
attached to the vessel. Use the pipe criteria.
Incidents can be established based on the plant’s experience,
Other or the incidents can be developed from the outcome of a
review or derived from hazard analysis studies.
Worst-case incidents
Assume release of the largest quantity of substance handled
on-site in a single process vessel at any time. To estimate the
Quantity
release rate, assume the entire quantity is released within 10
minutes.
Assume F stability, 1.5 m/s wind speed, unless
Wind speed/stability
meteorological data indicate otherwise.
Assume the highest daily maximum temperature and average
Ambient temperature/humidity
humidity.
Height of release Assume that the release occurs at ground level.
Topography Assume urban or rural topography, as appropriate.
Consider liquids to be released at the highest daily maximum
temperature, based on data for the previous three years, or
Temperature of release
at process temperature, whichever is higher. Assume that
substance
gases liquefied by refrigeration at atmospheric pressure are
released at their boiling points.

1
Source: Table 4-6, Guidelines for Selection of Process Incidents, Chemical Process Safety: Fundamentals with
Applications, 3rd ed., Crowl and Louvar.