The Analysis of Real Accidents as a Didactic Tool: The Case of a Toxic Cloud

The interest in risk analysis and in the effects of chemical releases on the environment and people has steadily increased in recent years, both in the industry and academia. The classical approach in the related courses is essentially based on the teaching of the main theoretical aspects, and the subsequent application by the professor to a series of examples, among which there can be real cases involving major accidents. A somewhat different approach consists in organizing several sessions in such a way that it is a team of students who will analyse a case. The professor will give the required information to them, but they will have to manage to solve the case and to answer a set of questions, as if they were an expert team. Usually, the result is quite satisfactory and enriching for both the students and the professor.