Hazmat Transport Risks: Societal and Individual Perspectives

Abstract

Risks associated with the transport of hazardous materials (hazmat) by truck and rail are viewed from two perspectives: society in general and the individual residing adjacent to the route. Societal and individual risks are assessed for the bulk transport of liquefied chlorine gas along a typical highway/rail corridor. The results of this analysis suggest that individual risks associated with the bulk transport of chlorine gas by truck and rail are low, and in the acceptable range. Significant differences in individual risks were observed between the two modes. Societal risks are much more significant than individual risks, given their concern with very low frequency—high consequence events. For the bulk transport of chlorine along the selected corridor, societal risks for trucks are moderately higher than for rail. Consideration of both individual and societal risks renders the risk analysis process more complete for the purpose of decision‐making.