(101b) Spreading the word of the concept ‘inherent safety' in a general industrial setting in the Dutch province of Zeeland

Recent accidents in The Netherlands in different kinds of industries, like fire works storage, catering and energy industry, triggered the Dutch government to start a national program to enhance the enforcement of industrial safety at the regional and municipal level. Stimulated by this program the Province of Zeeland developed its own external safety program. It explains the role external safety in major hazard control and in the co-ordination of land use planning. The pressure for land has for long been large in the Netherlands and the chance of major accidents influencing neighboring land has been strictly regulated. Part of the program is a feasibility study on introducing the concept of inherently safer solutions to undustry and local authorities. TNO executed a communication and exploration project for introducing this concept to the industry of Zeeland and other involved actors like licensing authorities and the regional fire fighting organization. Part of it was a search for examples of successful implementation of the concept. Ultimate goal of the Province is to enhance solutions directed at decreasing the most prominent hazards at source in this part of the Netherlands. These hazards concern large chemical facilities, production sites with large quantities of dangerous goods, large cooling installations and propane or LPG tanks. This paper presents the outcome of the communication and exploration campaign about the concept of inherent safety.