Gas Explosion Handbook
The Gas Explosion Handbook was written as a part of Christian Michelsen Research’s (CMR) research programme “Gas Safety Programme 1990-1992” (GSP90-92). The participants of the programme were BP Norway, Bundesministerium für Forschung und Technologie, Conoco Norway, Elf Petroleum Norge, Esso Norge, Gaz de France, Health and Safety Executive, Mobil Exploration Norway, Norsk Hydro, Norwegian Petroleum Directorate, N.V. Nederlandse Gasunie, Phillips Petroleum Company Norway and Statoil.
The handbook provides an overview of gas explosion hazards applicable to industries working with flammable substances. It is suitable for those new to the area and experienced professionals to understand explosion phenomena.
This helpful resource reviews relevant scientific and technical work performed in the field and presents essential lessons on release phenomena, dispersion processes, ignition sources and their properties, explosion processes and phenomena, blast waves, modelling of release, dispersion and explosion, hazardous area classification, and probabilities of release and ignition.
Coloured Books
The Coloured Books are widely recognised as the standard references for consequence and risk analysis in industrial applications. Serving as practical “how-to” guidelines, they are extensively used within the global safety community.
Much of the research behind the Coloured Books was carried out by TNO, the Dutch organisation for applied scientific research, commissioned in the 1990s by the Dutch governmental Committee for the Prevention of Disasters.
The Coloured Books also form the foundation of Gexcon’s consequence and risk modelling software: EFFECTS (based on the Yellow Book and Green Book) and RISKCURVES (based on the Purple Book).
While the Coloured Books themselves have not been updated since 2005, our software tools have continued to evolve, integrating a wide range of additional approaches and methods. This ongoing development ensures they remain aligned with the latest research and scientific data.
The following books are freely available in electronic form as PDF files:
- Yellow Book – Methods for the calculation of physical effects due to releases of hazardous materials (liquids and gases)
- Green Book – Methods for the determination of possible damage to people and objects resulting from releases of hazardous materials
- Purple Book – Guidelines for quantitative risk assessment
- Red Book – Methods for determining and processing probabilities
