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Risk Assessment Applications in Croatia

The first technological risk assessment in the Republic of Croatia was accomplished in 1994. Since then, this procedure has been applied in various fields with different goals and according to different methodologies. However, it can be stated that the total number of assessments performed so far is limited. In the majority of cases the basic objective of technological risk assessment implementation was to meet legal obligations. According to the valid legislation of the Republic of Croatia, the risk assessments have to be made within the scope of the emergency planning, with the objective of reducing unacceptable risks in the company’s manufacturing, processing, storing, or transporting hazardous substances and within the framework of environmental impact assessment (EIA). The minor part of the risk assessments has been executed on the initiative of operators of the potentially hazardous facilities, on the encouragement of local authorities or under the pressure of the local population. The results of the implementation of these assessments have been used to optimize allocations for operational safety, for needs of spatial planning, and with the objective of setting safety priorities in large industrial areas. In the paper examples of risk assessment applications in the Republic of Croatia are given. The examples are related to the industrial zones located near major population centers, development of plans and procedures for off-site nuclear emergency preparedness, oil and gas processing and crude oil transport by pipeline. The examples include the objectives of implementation, the descriptions of applied methodology and the main results. According to the opinion of the authors, in the Republic of Croatia the procedure of technological risk assessment has not yet been recognized as a useful decisionmaking support tool. Such opinion is based on the number of performed assessments as well as on their effects. Some of the main reasons for the adverse state are undoubtedly the following: lack of information, unfavorable economic situation, low level of safety culture, modest possibilities of education, and distrust of the profession. One of the steps directed towards the improvement of the situation could be the founding of a nonprofit institution called “Risk Analysis Institute.” Establishing of the Institute should facilitate knowledge transfer concerning the field of risk analysis to interested parties in the Republic of Croatia. The Institute should cover the area of technological and other kinds of risks, and among other things it should have a promotional, educational, and advisory role. The projects of the Institute would be carried out in cooperation with the economy, state institutions, and nongovernmental organizations. In accordance with the plans, the Institute could start work in 2005.

Risk assessment ; Environmental impact assessment ; Spatial planning ; Legal obligation

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