ORIGINAL RESEARCH
Environmental Risk Assessment of a Gas Power
Plant Exploitation Unit Using Integrated
TOP-EFMEA Method
Seyed Ali Jozi1, Shabnam Saffarian2, Mohsen Shafiee2
More details
Hide details
1Department of Environment, Faculty of Technical and Engineering, Islamic Azad University,
North Tehran Branch, Tehran, Iran
2Department of Environment, Islamic Azad University, Science and Research Branch-Khuzestan,
Ahwaz, Iran
Pol. J. Environ. Stud. 2012;21(1):95-105
KEYWORDS
ABSTRACT
Our study focuses on environmental risk assessment of a gas power plant in southern Iran. In this
research, after investigating the different activities and processes of the power plant, potential harmful factors
were initially identified. Afterwards, the identified risk factors were assessed and classified regarding the
severity and probability of occurrence, possibility of recycling, and dispersion of pollution into the environment.
The EFMEA method was applied to assess the risks. In order to improve the EFMEA technique, the
integrated EFMEA and TOPSIS method was used. The method was suggested to remove the uncertainty arising
from EFMEA and perform a consistent and logical analysis. Accordingly, using TOPSIS, the weights of
the risks were multiplied to a risk priority number (RPN) of environmental aspects. The results obtained from
comparing the calculated risk numbers showed that the risk of explosion and gas leakage caused by commissioning
the unit with gas-fuel (with RPN equal to 163.014) assigns itself the first priority amongst other risks.
The proposed technique has high potential impact on managerial policy within environmental decisions.
Considering the application of expert opinion, the suggested TOP-EFMEA method is more flexible than
EFMEA.