Abstract
The objectives of this research are to examine and critique eight chemical accident databases, document any trends in accident occurrences, develop a strategy for improving current databases, and to establish national safety goals on the basis of those improvements. This synopsis found that it is impossible to draw any conclusions about the state of chemical safety, past or present, based on the information in the various databases. The databases are deficient in many ways. First, they have been developed using inconsistent and faulty data-collecting methods, and the terms used to describe accidents are often ambiguous. Secondly, the ever-changing reporting requirements prevent comparisons to be made from year to year, making trends impossible to identify. Lastly, the databases provide little to no information about the specifics of accidents, and many accidents are incorrectly lumped under the heading of chemical accidents. All these factors compromise the overall quality of the data. Thus, it is very difficult, if not impossible, to make definitive conclusions. In addition, it is impossible to determine the effectiveness of governmental regulations or industry standards and practices, when there is no reliable data available for comparison. Finally, this study makes recommendations for database improvement by addressing each of the deficiencies, developing a structure for a new database, and establishing a foundation for the development of national safety goals.
McCray, Eboni Trevette (2000). Chemical accident databases: what they tell us and how they can be improved to establish national safety goals. Master's thesis, Texas A&M University. Available electronically from
https : / /hdl .handle .net /1969 .1 /ETD -TAMU -2000 -THESIS -M3312.