Introduction to eNATECH
This document explains the philosophy behind the eNATECH data structure and provides short tutorials based on real accident cases to guide users in browsing the database and in introducing their own accident or near miss data. eNATECH is an online, collaborative system for the analysis of past accidents and near misses that occurred at industrial plants due to natural hazard impacts. The database is oriented toward supporting lessons learned studies and it contains four types of records: Natural Hazards, Natech Accidents, Sites, and their associated Attachments.
The impact of natural hazards on industrial plants that contain hazardous substances can cause fires, explosions, and toxic or radioactive releases. Despite a growing body of research and more stringent regulations for the design and operation of industrial installations, these so-called Natech accidents remain a threat. The collection and analysis of accident and near miss data is crucial for learning lessons to prevent future Natech accidents and to better mitigate their consequences. The quality of Natech accident data in general industrial accident databases is not uniform and frequently lacks the necessary details which renders their use for meaningful lesson learned studies difficult. In response, the European Commission Joint Research Centre developed this database.