Accidents and Catastrophes - Assignment Example

Author’s Name: Instructor’s Name: Course Details: Due Date: Accidents and Catastrophes Part A: Multiple Choice Questions 1. D 2. B 3. B 4. C 5. B 6. D 7. A 8. D 9. C 10. A 11. D 12. B 13. C 14. C 15. B 16. D 17. D 18. C 19. A 20. A Part B: Short Answer Section QUESTION 1 A. What are the four conditions that must be met to have a BLEVE? i. There must be a liquid substance such as liquefied flammable liquids or gases ii. The liquid must be contained in a container in the shape of a bullet, sphere or a rail tanker iii. The liquid must be at a temperature above the normal boiling point at a pressure of the atmosphere at the time the container enables building up of pressure inside the to exceed atmospheric pressure. iv. The container must fail to hold the liquid in order to have a BLEVE. The failure can occurs as a result of flame impingement, internal weaknesses in its structure and impacts of mechanical events such as accidents, derailment of tankers that allows the flow of liquids. B. Explain the TNT-equivalence methods. These are methods used to quantify the released energy during explosions. For instance, a ton of TNT is equal to 4.184 gigajoules, which refers to the quantity of energy resulting from detonation of a ton of TNT (Bashkin 2006). A megaton of TNT is the unit of measurement that equals 4.184 petajoules. Kiloton and megaton have been used significantly to rate energy output, consequently destructive capabilities of nuclear weapons. C. Explosion effects on building structures can be divided into primary and secondary effects, discuss. Primary effects of explosion include direct effects of the blast on sensitive organs of the people close to the explosion such as the ears, lungs and gastrointestinal tract. Secondary effects are those associated with the collapse of the building or the effects of debris and fragments resulting from damages to buildings and the vehicle or container in which the explosive is carried (Campbell 2008). Secondary effects can result into injury to people who are no very close to the scene of the explosion as a result of being affected by the destruction caused by explosion. D. Explain the interaction between a building and explosion blast waves. Buildings in process plants may undergo structural damage as a result of blast overpressures and sections of explosion. Shocks that result from explosion can result into creation of waves which can be destructive to buildings (Koukkari and Sothern 2006). Blast waves result when there is a sudden release of energy. The released energy can be in the form of nuclear energy, chemical energy or pressure energy. A blast wave can only develop when the release of energy is rapid and concentrated enough to result into production of a pressure when that can be heard. When the source of such waves is in a particular building, such a building becomes affected and the phenomenon is referred to as building explosion. QUESTION 2 A. What are the five major categories of hazards associated with terrorism? Chemical hazards Biological hazards Nuclear hazards Radiological hazards Explosive hazards B. Discuss the differences between HAZMAT and CBRN. i. HAZMAT are non-weaponized materials such as contaminated food, animals on ransit or crops being moved from one region to another. On the other hand, CBRN are weaponized materials that are aimed at causing massive destruction such as explosives and enhanced bombs. ii. HAZMAT is those that need to be controlled by the handler of the materials in order to prevent their effect on destruction while CBRN control involves preventing the person responsible for the materials from using the materials for destruction purposes. iii. CBRN can contribute to mass destruction of property and people while HAZMAT can contribute to injury to a few number of people or property. iv. Specialized detection equipment is required for CBRN while HAZMAT do not require specialized detection equipment. C. Discuss the two major differences between traditional hazards and the new hazards associated with terrorism. i. New hazards are premeditated such as terrorism that is aimed at harming a particular group of people while traditional hazards do not happen with any intention of causing harm. ii. New hazards involves preparations and it usually takes place when people least expect it. On the other hand, traditional hazards have some warning signs. For instance in areas affected by earthquakes structures are built in a fortified manner. D. Discuss the milestones in Global Efforts to Control CBRN i. Global Partnership (GP) has been created by the G8 countries with the aim of preventing terrorists and other proliferators from acquiring CBRN weapons and materials that enable activities of terrorists. ii. Counter proliferation program has been formed to combat terrorist threats by supporting projects in various parts of the world so that political will is increased and technical capacity to reduce terrorism threats is also increased. iii. Supporting strategies aimed at destruction of chemical weapons stocks so that full national implementation of Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) is implemented in all countries. iv. The Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention (BTWC) has been formed to assist in preventing the acquisition of toxin weapons by states and preventing their use by states of terrorists. QUESTION 4 A. Explain the difference between accidents and catastrophes. An accident is where a particular person undergoes injury as a result of using a facility in wrong way, resulting in injuries of various severities to the people nearby. On the other hand, a catastrophe involves destruction such as earthquake that can result into a destruction of property worth 1mioolion as well as displacement of people. B. Discuss the myths associated with human behavior in fires. i. People are irrational: when people are confronted with serious fire threat, they behave in a constructive manner. Emotional stress has the capacity to affect decision making but it does not override the ability to engage in rational behavior (Kvesitadze 2006). ii. People are selfish: people do not usually cause harm to one another or act in aggressive manner when there is a fire situation. They tend to help one another even when the people they are helping are not familiar to them. iii. People are unpredictable: people do not perform in a well-defined routine such as a computer system. The need to understand who is right, when an illogical behavior is observed enables a person to survive a fire incident by being different to the expected behavior in the emergency plan (Smil 2008). iv. People are unreliable: due to the fact that it is not possible to predict the actions of an individual accurately, people are considered unreliable. However, due to the unique decision making capabilities of humans, they will make the right decisions which will enable them survive in a fire situation. v. People are ignorant or ill-informed: they do not have the complete understanding of the fire case but they possess understanding the risks associated with it. C. What is the role of the media in providing misrepresentations about disaster behavior? The media has contributed to misrepresentation about the behavior of a disaster in a number of ways such as focusing on activities such as looting during a disaster and neglecting the most important events that need to be reported (Perrow 2011). They also report activities such as the worries of residents about the destructions of their property or the role of law enforcement agencies in preventing looting. This is because; the media wants to use a particular approach to reporting the behavior of the disaster, while losing the facts that need to be reported. D. What occupant characteristics will affect their behavior in fire situations? Various occupant characteristics have an effect on behavior during a fire situation such as the processes through which they make decisions. It is found that before a building occupant makes a decision, they have to perceive certain cues, interpret the situation they are undergoing and then make a decision about the action to take. In addition, each phase of decision making process is affected by certain factors (Prothero and Project Muse 2011). During the perception phase, the occupant only perceives physical and social cues in the environment such as smoke, heat and debris. This is followed by interpretation of the information provided by cues such as whether it is a false alarm or s serious fire. The third phase is where the occupants make decisions such as the actions they need to take based on the manner in which they interpret the situations such as the risks involved. The final phase is where behaviors are involved such as the action of evacuation the building. QUESTION 5 A. What are the four phases or functional areas of emergency management? i. Mitigation: This is where measures are taken so that emergency situation is not experienced. ii. Preparedness: this is where emergency services that are put in place so that an emergency situation is controlled should it happen iii. Response: this is the range of activities performed in reaction to an emergency that has happened. They are aimed at overcoming particular threats and may involve activities such as evacuation, creation of shelters and firefighting. iv. Recovery: this is the process of taking actions after an immediate impact of a disaster has been experienced. For instance, a destroyed facility may be restored to its normal operation. B. Discuss the major categories of hazards. Provide examples. i. Chemicals: Chemicals that may be hazardous to workers include gases, solid chemicals and powders used at work place. ii. Fire: the premises where a particular activity may be affected by fire and this can as well be hazardous. iii. Physical hazards: these are hazards contributed by physical objects such as falling object. iv. Electrical hazards: these are hazards that result from electric faults. C. Why is damage assessment important and what methods are used to conduct damage assessments? Damage assessment enables understanding the resources that need to be input so that the operations of an organization are brought to normal operating status. It also enables an organization have a documentation of losses that can be used to support their recoup (Rokem 2010). The methods of damage assessment involves: selection of assessment team, developing standard operating procedures, identification of tools, identification of information needs, designing survey forms and collecting data about the damage. D. Different types of disaster produce different types of debris. Can you provide examples that support this statement? Why is it important to know this? i. Hurricanes contribute to hurricane debris such as construction materials, damaged buildings and sediments. ii. Earthquakes contribute to earthquake debris such as building debris, bridges debris, broken water pipes displaced personal property and sediments iii. Tornados contribute to tornado debris such as destroyed structures, green wastes and property. iv. Floods contribute to Flood debris such as sediments, mud, sandbags and materials of demolished houses. The importance of understanding various types of debris is that it enables understanding the approach to be used when removing the debris based on the kind of disaster that has taken place. Part C: Calculation Section QUESTION 6: Estimate the peak side-on overpressure and impulse at a distance of 50m from the explosion of 200kg of TNT. The ambient pressure is 101.3kPa Estimate the mass of TNT exploded if an overpressure of 10kPa is measured at a distance of 100m from the blast origin. The ambient pressure is 101.3kPa. Use equations and diagram provided. Equations to use: Z = R/ W 1/3: R = 50m, W = 200kg Z =50/200 1/3 = 8.55 Ps = Po/Pa; Po = 101.3kPa, Pa = 10kPa Ps = 10/101.3 = 0.0987 Mass exploded = W, R = 100m, Z = 8.55 W = (R/Z) 3 = (100/8.55)3 W = 1599.93= 1600kg Work Cited Bashkin, V. N. Modern biogeochemistry: Environmental risk assessment. Dordrecht: Springer.2006. Print. Campbell, B. C. Disasters, accidents, and crises in American history: A reference guide to the nation's most catastrophic events. New York: Facts On File. 2008. Print. Koukkari, W. L., & Sothern, R. B. Introducing biological rhythms: A primer on the temporal organization of life, with implications for health, society, reproduction and the natural environment. New York, NY: Springer. 2006. Print. Kvesitadze, G. I. Biochemical mechanisms of detoxification in higher plants: Basis of phytoremediation. Berlin: Springer. 2006. Print. Perrow, C. Next catastrophe: Reducing our vulnerabilities to natural, industrial, and terrorist disasters. Princeton: Princeton Univ Press. 2011. Print. . Prothero, D. R., & Project Muse. Catastrophes!: Earthquakes, tsunamis, tornadoes, and other earth-shattering disasters. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. 2011. Print. Rokem, F. Philosophers and thespians: Thinking performance. Stanford, Calif: Stanford University Press. 2010. Print. Smil, V.. Global catastrophes and trends: The next 50 years. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.2008. Print. Read More

Global Partnership (GP) has been created by the G8 countries with the aim of preventing terrorists and other proliferators from acquiring CBRN weapons and materials that enable activities of terrorists. ii. Counter proliferation program has been formed to combat terrorist threats by supporting projects in various parts of the world so that political will is increased and technical capacity to reduce terrorism threats is also increased. iii. Supporting strategies aimed at destruction of chemical weapons stocks so that full national implementation of Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) is implemented in all countries. iv. The Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention (BTWC) has been formed to assist in preventing the acquisition of toxin weapons by states and preventing their use by states of terrorists.

QUESTION 4 A. Explain the difference between accidents and catastrophes. An accident is where a particular person undergoes injury as a result of using a facility in wrong way, resulting in injuries of various severities to the people nearby. On the other hand, a catastrophe involves destruction such as earthquake that can result into a destruction of property worth 1mioolion as well as displacement of people. B. Discuss the myths associated with human behavior in fires. i. People are irrational: when people are confronted with serious fire threat, they behave in a constructive manner.

Emotional stress has the capacity to affect decision making but it does not override the ability to engage in rational behavior (Kvesitadze 2006). ii. People are selfish: people do not usually cause harm to one another or act in aggressive manner when there is a fire situation. They tend to help one another even when the people they are helping are not familiar to them. iii. People are unpredictable: people do not perform in a well-defined routine such as a computer system. The need to understand who is right, when an illogical behavior is observed enables a person to survive a fire incident by being different to the expected behavior in the emergency plan (Smil 2008). iv. People are unreliable: due to the fact that it is not possible to predict the actions of an individual accurately, people are considered unreliable.

However, due to the unique decision making capabilities of humans, they will make the right decisions which will enable them survive in a fire situation. v. People are ignorant or ill-informed: they do not have the complete understanding of the fire case but they possess understanding the risks associated with it. C. What is the role of the media in providing misrepresentations about disaster behavior? The media has contributed to misrepresentation about the behavior of a disaster in a number of ways such as focusing on activities such as looting during a disaster and neglecting the most important events that need to be reported (Perrow 2011).

They also report activities such as the worries of residents about the destructions of their property or the role of law enforcement agencies in preventing looting. This is because; the media wants to use a particular approach to reporting the behavior of the disaster, while losing the facts that need to be reported. D. What occupant characteristics will affect their behavior in fire situations? Various occupant characteristics have an effect on behavior during a fire situation such as the processes through which they make decisions.

It is found that before a building occupant makes a decision, they have to perceive certain cues, interpret the situation they are undergoing and then make a decision about the action to take. In addition, each phase of decision making process is affected by certain factors (Prothero and Project Muse 2011). During the perception phase, the occupant only perceives physical and social cues in the environment such as smoke, heat and debris. This is followed by interpretation of the information provided by cues such as whether it is a false alarm or s serious fire.

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