Cover of Methodology for Comparing Dangerous Goods Risks in Road Tunnels to Those on Alternative Routes: Best Practice Review
Methodology for Comparing Dangerous Goods Risks in Road Tunnels to Those on Alternative Routes: Best Practice Review
  • Publication no: AP-R703-24
  • ISBN: 978-1-922994-20-2
  • Published: 24 January 2024

This report is one of the three reports produced as part of a project undertaken to establish a comparative risk assessment method for assessing whether a tunnel route is safer than a surface route for the road transit of dangerous goods (DG) materials.

This report reviews best international practice in road tunnel DG risk assessment and provides justification for the selection of a Dangerous Goods Quantitative Risk Assessment Model (DG-QRAM) as the tool most appropriate for comparative DG risk assessments.

The second report AP-R704-24 Methodology for Comparing Dangerous Goods Risks in Road Tunnels to Those on Alternative Routes: Manual for Using DG-QRAM in the Australasian Context provides background on the development, capabilities and limitations of the DG-QRAM tool as well as guidance as to how the DG-QRAM tool should be applied to road tunnels in Australia and New Zealand.

The third report AP-R705-24 Methodology for Comparing Dangerous Goods Risks in Road Tunnels to Those on Alternative Routes: Case Study Using DG-QRAM in the Australasian Context illustrates the stages of the comparative assessment, with incorporation of mitigation measures. The case study is a demonstration of the intent of the method that is detailed in the manual.

Watch a webinar about the methodology with Dr Conrad Stacey and Nigel Casey.

  • Summary
  • 1. Introduction
  • 2. Limitations of Quantitative Risk Assessment
  • 3. Responsibilities of the Road Authority
    • 3.1 Overview
    • 3.2 Negligence
    • 3.3 Dangerous Goods – Placarded Loads
    • 3.4 Conclusion
  • 4. Agreement Concerning the International Carriage of Dangerous Goods by Road
    • 4.1 Classification of Dangerous Goods According to the ADR
    • 4.2 Tunnel Categories (ADR Chap 1.9 p.85-87)
      • 4.2.1 Tunnel Category A
      • 4.2.2 Tunnel Category B
      • 4.2.3 Tunnel category C
      • 4.2.4 Tunnel Category D
      • 4.2.5 Tunnel Category E
    • 4.3 European Tunnel Restriction Codes (ADR Chap 8.6 p. 593-594)
    • 4.4 Application of the ADR Tunnel Regulations in Europe
  • 5. Examples of National Standardised Risk Assessment Methods
    • 5.1 France
      • 5.1.1 Step 1
      • 5.1.2 Step 2a
      • 5.1.3 Step 2b
      • 5.1.4 CETU Booklet
      • 5.1.5 Example Evaluation
    • 5.2 Germany
      • 5.2.1 Step 1a
      • 5.2.2 Step 1b
      • 5.2.3 Step 2a
      • 5.2.4 Step 2b
    • 5.3 Austria
      • 5.3.1 Step 1
      • 5.3.2 Step 2a
      • 5.3.3 Step 2b
      • 5.3.4 Step 3
    • 5.4 Other Countries
    • 5.5 Discussion of the Various Approaches – with Focus on the Evaluation of Results
  • 6. Quantitative Risk Assessment Applications Under the National Approaches
    • 6.1 Dangerous Goods Quantitative Risk Assessment Model
      • 6.1.1 Scenario and Frequency Analysis
      • 6.1.2 Consequence Analysis
      • 6.1.3 Output
    • 6.2 The ‘German Model’
      • 6.2.1 Scenario and Frequency Analysis
      • 6.2.2 Consequence Analysis
      • 6.2.3 Output
    • 6.3 TuRisMo
      • 6.3.1 Scenario and Frequency Analysis
      • 6.3.2 Consequence Analysis
    • 6.4 Comparison of DG-QRAM, the German Model, and TuRisMo-DG
  • 7. US Approach
  • 8. Prior Australasian Risk Assessments
  • 9. Conclusion
  • References
  • Appendix A Jurisdictional Differences
    • A.1 Tunnel Characteristics
    • A.2 Dangerous Goods Fleet
    • A.3 Operational Differences