Quantitative Transport Risk Analysis using the TRAT-GIS code on a Regional Scale

An extensive quantitative risk assessment as applied to the land transport of dangerous goods in Sicily is outlined. A complete inventory of dangerous substances was the basis for this complete risk analysis. From both the individual risk distribution and societal risk curves the importance of parameters has been obtained and this has suggested measures to reduce the risk in Sicily. Calculations has been made with the TRAT software code (implemented on a GIS platform) which has been developed to evaluate the risk to human health and to the environment due to the transportation of dangerous goods. In conclusion The TRAT-GIS code permits the rapid evaluation of both individual and societal risk indexes. The application of the transport risk analysis to a very large area, such as East Sicily, is necessary to identify all the critical points in the region. In this study the downtown area of Messina represents a critical area because all the fluxes have to cross the urban centre to reach the peninsula. The assessment of the contribution due to the transportation of hazardous goods to the global risk, the use of a GIS interface and the identification of appropriate indexes is necessary for a careful management of the territory and for the development of an efficient regional integrated transport plan.