Studies of hazard, vulnerability and technological risk for the handling of hazardous chemical substances: your role in disaster risk management

Abstract

Studies of Danger, Vulnerability and Technological Risks of territorial scope began to be carried out in Cuba in accordance with the provisions of Directive 1 of the President of the National Defense Council. The scope of these studies encompasses facilities that use, process, and / or store hazardous chemicals. Based on the methodology developed by a group of multidisciplinary experts, dangerous facilities have been identified in the country's provinces, as well as the state of compliance with industrial safety regulations. In addition, the social, ecological, economic, structural and non-structural vulnerabilities of those elements located in the area of ​​effect of fire events, explosions, spills, and toxic gas leaks are identified and as a final stage, the risks they represent are estimated. the facilities for your outdoor environment. Although the PVRT studies do not constitute detailed studies, they do issue recommendations to decision makers on those facilities in which actions to increase the culture of industrial safety should be prioritized, in addition to others associated with the preparation of the population and entities responding to emergencies. These studies are important for disaster risk management in a territory where other hazards of technological, natural or sanitary origin may be present and constitute an important tool to complement the actions of anticipation and control of disaster risk factors and the multi-risk analysis in the territories.