Accident Damage Analysis Module (ADAM) - technical guidance : software tool for consequence analysis calculations

This report provides a technical description of the modelling and assumptions of the Accident Damage Analysis Module (ADAM) software application, which has been recently developed by the Joint Research Centre (JRC) of the European Commission (EC) to assess physical effects of an industrial accident resulting from an unintended release of a dangerous substance. This software is specifically intended to assist the EU Competent Authorities, who are responsible for the implementation of the Seveso Directive in their countries, in assessing the potential consequences of an industrial accident in a structured and comprehensive manner. More specifically, ADAM is designed to implement the calculation of the physical effects of an industrial accident in terms of thermal radiation, overpressure or toxic concentration that may result from the loss of containment of a flammable or toxic substance. For this purpose, suitable models have been used and combined to simulate the possible evolution of an accident, from the time of release to the final damage. In addition, ADAM will be incorporated as a calculus module within the next version of the GIS Area Risk Assessment tool, developed by the JRC, which is intended to aggregate the contribution to risk of different risk sources resulting from the single installations of different establishments located in a certain area, by including the transport of dangerous substances. All implemented models, were tested during the research phase, and as such might provide great support to several operators involved in the industrial safety sector, such as the risk analysts, site inspectors and reviewers of safety reports. The outcome of ADAM calculations is of fundamental importance for any risk estimate, but it is also essential for decision support related activities such as, for instance, identification of cost effective protection measures, organization of internal and external emergency plans, provision of the correct information to the public, and definition of land use around an industrial facility. In addition, the analysis of the exposure to the effects of an accident involving a certain dangerous substance can also be used to assess the inherent potential of the substance to produce harm. ADAM was funded by the Institutional programme of the EC Joint Research Centre and the EC Directorate General on EU Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection (DG ECHO) via Administrative Arrangements on Seveso Capacity Building in EU Neighbour Countries.