Fuel and Combustion

Fuel and Combustion

Fire Risk Assessment of Diesel Fuel Storage Tanks in Mashhad Power Plants Using the Bow-Tie Technique and the Development of Appropriate Control and Mitigation Measures

Document Type : Original Article

Authors
Meysam Rezaei
Zahra Abedi
Hanieh Nikoomaram
Farzam Babaei
Department of Natural Resources and Environment, SR.C., Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
10.22034/jfnc.2026.579816.1458
Abstract
In this study, fires in diesel storage tanks at power plants were analyzed as a primary event. Initially, the main causes of the event were identified and assessed using the Fault Tree Analysis (FTA) method. Subsequently, the potential consequences of the event were predicted through the Event Tree Analysis (ETA) technique. Finally, the incident pathway—from the cause phase to the consequence phase—was illustrated and examined using the Bow Tie diagram. Moreover, the most important control measures for preventing fuel tank fires and mitigating their consequences were recommended in order of priority. In total, five main threats, along with 79 sub-causes and intermediate events, were found to contribute to fires in diesel storage tanks at power plants. Fifty-two control measures (barriers) were identified and proposed to prevent the occurrence of such fires. Additionally, five primary safety, economic, and environmental consequences of tank fires were identified, and the most important control measures to mitigate these consequences were recommended. The analysis of the results and the illustrated diagrams revealed that the most important control measures for preventing fires in diesel storage tanks, in order of priority, are: the development and strict adherence to safety procedures, the provision of necessary training, and regular maintenance and servicing. Moreover, the key measures for mitigating the consequences of fuel tank fires include: enhancing fire suppression systems, timely activation of existing fire suppression systems, prompt firefighting, conducting periodic drills, and fuel replacement

Highlights

This study employed a qualitative Bow-Tie analysis approach to assess fire scenarios involving diesel storage tanks at a selected power plant as a case study. The results demonstrated that, by integrating Fault Tree Analysis and Event Tree Analysis, this method enables the systematic identification of threats, the top event, consequences, and control barriers, and can serve as an effective tool for supporting decision-making in process risk management. Analysis of the accident pathways indicated that a considerable proportion of the intermediate events were associated with human and managerial factors, including deficiencies in the implementation of safety procedures, inadequate training, shortcomings in preventive maintenance programs, and insufficient supervision. This finding was derived from the analysis of hazard scenarios, the frequency of intermediate events, and the judgement of the expert team, and highlights the central role of human and managerial factors in the development and control of risk. Furthermore, the application of engineering barriers, such as fixed fire-extinguishing systems, fire detection and alarm systems, earthing and bonding systems, leak monitoring, and emergency response programs, plays an important role in reducing the likelihood of accident occurrence or limiting the consequences of an incident.

Keywords
Risk Assessment,
Fire
Diesel Tanks
Control Measures
Subjects
] American Petroleum Institute. API Standard 650: Welded Tanks for Oil Storage. 13th ed. Washington, DC: API; 2020
[2] National Fire Protection Association. NFPA 30: Flammable and Combustible Liquids Code. 2021 ed. Quincy (MA): National Fire Protection Association; 2021.
[3] Center for Chemical Process Safety. Guidelines for Risk Based Process Safety. 2nd ed. Hoboken (NJ): John Wiley & Sons; 2018.
[4] Center for Chemical Process Safety. Guidelines for Hazard Evaluation Procedures. 4th ed. Hoboken (NJ): John Wiley & Sons; 2022.
[5] National Fire Protection Association. NFPA 850: Recommended Practice for Fire Protection for Electric Generating Plants and High Voltage Direct Current Converter Stations. 2025 ed. Quincy (MA): National Fire Protection Association; 2025.
[6] Mannan S, editor. Lees' Loss Prevention in the Process Industries: Hazard Identification, Assessment and Control. 4th ed. Oxford: Butterworth-Heinemann; 2012.
[7] Centre for Chemical Process Safety (CCPS). Bow Ties in Risk Management: A Concept Book for Process Safety. Hoboken (NJ): John Wiley & Sons; 2018.
[8] International Electrotechnical Commission. IEC 31010:2019. Risk management—Risk assessment techniques. Geneva: International Electrotechnical Commission; 2019
[9] Centre for Chemical Process Safety (CCPS). Guidelines for Hazard Evaluation Procedures. 3rd ed. Hoboken (NJ): John Wiley & Sons; 2008.
[10] International Electrotechnical Commission. IEC 60812:2018. Failure modes and effects analysis (FMEA and FMECA). Geneva: International Electrotechnical Commission; 2018
[11] Centre for Chemical Process Safety (CCPS). Layer of Protection Analysis: Simplified Process Risk Assessment. New York: American Institute of Chemical Engineers; 2001.
[12] Doregar Zavareh R, Dana T, Roayaei E, Monavari SM, Jozi SA. The environmental risk assessment of fire and explosion in storage tanks of petroleum products. Sustainability. 2022;14(17):10747. “(in Persian)”
[13] Fuentes-Bargues JL, González-Cruz MC, González-Gaya C, Baixauli-Pérez MP. Risk analysis of a fuel storage terminal using HAZOP and FTA. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2017;14(7):705. doi:10.3390/ijerph14070705
[14] Seo D, Nam S, Cho Y, Lee K, Kim E, Lee B. An empirical study on the fire behavior and emergency response technique in gasoline storage tank. J Loss Prev Process Ind. 2026;99:105792. doi:10.1016/j.jlp.2025.105792.
[15] Leite RM, Centeno FR. Effect of tank diameter on thermal behavior of gasoline and diesel storage tanks fires. J Hazard Mater. 2018;342:544-552. doi:10.1016/j.jhazmat. 2017.08.052
[16] Djemai Z, Aissani N, Bekrar A, Lounis Z. Risk analysis of petroleum storage tank based on uncertain data incorporated into mapped Bow-tie to Bayesian network. Process Saf Environ Prot. 2024;190:1202-1221. doi:10.1016/j.psep.2024.07.114
[17] Sarebanzadeh K, Hasheminejad N, Alimohammadlou M, Es'haghi M. Using fuzzy cognitive map in bow tie method for dynamic risk assessment of spherical storage tanks: A case study. Heliyon. 2024;10(5). “(in Persian)”
[18] Crippa C, Fiorentini L, Rossini V, Stefanelli R, Tafaro S, Marchi M, et al. Fire risk management system for safe operation of large atmospheric storage tanks. J Loss Prev Process Ind. 2009;22(5):574-581.
[19] Huang Y, Tao A, Lu H, Wang L. Research on inert gas active fire extinguishing technology for storage tank initial pool fire. Process Saf Prog. 2025;44(4):694-703. doi:10.1002/prs.70029.
[20] Li Z, Zhu H, Qiu F, Zhao J, Tian C. Experiment study on the effectiveness of various and mixed kinds of low expansion foam of 120# gasoline pool fire suppression. Fire. 2023;6(3):121.