Publisher's Synopsis
The Major Accident Reporting System (MARS) has been set up by the European Commission and is operated by the JRC-ISEI within the framework of implementation of the Council Directive 82/501/EEC (SEVESO-Directive). A total of 121 accidents are classified in this volume according to various parameters, thereby illustrating the trends and priorities useful for an effective accident prevention policy. The official and structured accident reporting procedure applied by MARS guarantees complete and accurate reporting. Consequently, the immediate and underlying causes of most of the accidents can be identified. Review of accident causes shows that the vast majority of the accidents notified could have been easily prevented by proper application of existing experience and disseminated knowledge.;Lessons that can be learned from the accidents notified and which are useful in accident and/or loss prevention are grouped together in five categories for presentation purposes. The experience gained in running MARS is discussed with respect to possible improvements in reporting procedure. Accident case histories are given in an appendix. The presentation of indices according to type of accident, type of installation and substances involved enables a quick identification of accident case histories relevant to the subject of interest.;The reports in this volume are intended to provide a structured communication system across boundaries and organizations, aiding the future prevention of accidents through disseminating knowledge on existing experience, underlining the importance for accident prevention of safety management and safety studies of installations and processes.
