A New Method for Determining Insurability of Risks in Gas Refineries Using the Failure Mode and Effect Analysis Method

Decision making about dealing with risks is one of the main activities in the insurance industry on one hand and in the process industry on the other one. To this end, both insurers and the insured (i.e. owners of process industries) use various scientific methods for risk assessment. In this paper, determining the insurability of risks in gas refineries is studied using the Failure Mode and Effect Analysis (FMEA) method as a new approach. Appling the FMEA, an upper bound for insurability is determined by using the distribution of Risk Priority Number (RPN). The types of risks including uninsurable, insurable and safety risks are also identified by referring to the internal state of affairs of gas refineries. Property damages are of concern, but human injuries as well as natural and external risks are not accounted for in this study. Property risks are categorized into five groups comprising fire, explosion, error and omission, machinery breakdown and pressurized vessels defects as important risks in the refinery. The empirical results indicate that various property risks in refineries, including fire, explosion, error and omission, and machinery breakdown, are insurable. However, the risks of error and omission and pressurized vessels defects can be taken into account in the safety category and tolerated by industry owners.