Special Issue: Safety and integrity in harsh environments

• Published in: Safety Science
• Main Authors: Khan, Faisal, Reniers, Genserik, COZZANI, VALERIO
• Other Authors: Cozzani, Valerio
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: 2017
• Subjects: Safety; Risk; Reliability and Quality; Safety Research; Public Health; Environmental and Occupational Health; Ice; permafrost
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/11585/590045; https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssci.2017.03.008

Harsh environments include extreme environments (e.g. due to extreme temperatures, extreme weather conditions, remoteness of the areas, etc.) often characterized by hazardous activities (such as arctic oil rigs perforation and operation, shipping, deep sea activities, and space operations). Opportunities in the exploration and exploitation of natural resources, along with short navigation routes, have recently led to increased activities in such harsh environments (for example the Arctic and sub-Arctic regions). Activities in harsh environments present significant technical and logistical challenges in engineering design, construction and operation of infrastructures. Due to lack of knowledge and data, it is uncertain whether engineering specifications are sufficiently defined to ensure the safety and integrity in such environments. Remoteness of the areas, isolation, wearing working conditions pose severe requirements to workers and human factors may emerge as crucial in affecting system performance. Further complexities arise as engineering schemes fall increasingly under technological, economic and environmental constraints. The unique features of harsh environments, including weather conditions such as extreme heat, ice and permafrost, severe operating conditions, higher and more complex material degradation rates, unpredictable climatic changes, and a high degree of uncertainty, pose a multitude of challenges that require a concerted effort from all entities involved in these endeavours. Intensive and extensive research is needed to provide sufficient knowledge and information for safety and integrity management in harsh environments.