An integrated emergency management system for spills of chemical substances

Recent major oil spills into the aquatic environment have once more focused public attention on the environmental hazards and hazards to human safety which are associated with the production and transportation of hydrocarbons and other chemicals. It is obvious that more should be done to prevent spills of chemical substances. It is unfortunately also obvious that - in an imperfect world - it is impossible to completely avoid spills. Accordingly, it is necessary to establish procedures, tools, and equipment to be applied when spills do occur, in order to minimize the damage. This paper describes a computerized emergency management system for spills at sea. The system is being developed as a tool to be used in that crucial phase of a spill event, where a few decisions may turn an event into a disaster or a potential disaster into an event of limited consequences. (author)