Process safety incidents database
A new free-access incident database developed at Pondicherry University seeks to complement existing databases of historical process accidents.
A paper by the developers of the PUPAD database has been released, describing the aims of the project. The introduction to this paper can be read here. The developers sought to create a new alternative after being dissatisfied with systems that required payment to access, or which had an overly broad focus, diluting process safety information with incidents from other fields, or with confusing inclusions of personal safety incidents.
The PUPAD database has been populated from multiple sources, including data from the FACTS and MARS databases, alongside personal research by the developers and other reporting organisations. More than 8000 records are currently available, covering the period 1900 to present, with some sparse records listing incidents from 1800 onwards. The search system and interface are relatively basic, however data is exported to CVS format for use, and is easy to import into other applications or systems.