Safety and security of industrial systems

Providing comprehensive support to public authorities and industrialists for better industrial risk management

INERIS strives to offer a risk assessment and reduction approach that takes into account the ageing of facilities, malicious acts and natural hazards, including those affected by climate change. The potential of artificial intelligence and big data s is being studied to feed into and facilitate data processing for risk analysis. 
A digital management model for studies related to risk control (hazard studies (EDD), Internal Operating Plans (POI), safety barriers, etc.) is then proposed to improve their operational implementation, instruction and inspection.

Supporting innovation and industrial change to protect property, health and the environment

INERIS is involved in making the factory of the future safer, including in terms of cybersecurity. The Institute is therefore interested in the contribution of organisational and human factor analysis and failure analysis in instrumented facilities controlled by digital tools. In line with the results of its forward-looking monitoring of emerging risks, INERIS is developing, through partnerships, a capacity to assess the risks of facilities using biotechnologies.

Identifying substances, products and processes in order to assess their hazardousness

The production, transport, storage and use of substances or mixtures such as explosives, flammable solids, liquids or gases, pyrophoric substances, oxidising substances, hydroractive substances and any energy-bearing materials may generate accident risks. 
INERIS develops generic methods to identify substances emitted in such situations and to assess their consequences. The Lubrizol and NL Logistique fire in Rouen in 2019, for example, led to the development of feedback aimed at improving risk analysis methodologies. 
The generic methods in question are implemented on the basis of basic components (wood, plastics, combustible liquids, etc.) in order to contribute to the development of a database and estimate a source term in the event of a storage fire. 
Ineris not only assesses substances, it also studies industrial processes and the operational conditions associated with the use of these substances (storage, manufacture, use, treatment, disposal and destruction) using testing and modelling methods. 
As a notified body, INERIS also assists manufacturers in assessing the risk of explosive atmospheres (ATEX). It verifies the flammability and combustibility of powders, liquids and gases and analyses the risk of ATEX formation in order to establish appropriate ATEX zoning for the installation.