There are many problems with deciding on a suitable site for a new industrial facility, or building new residences near an industrial area, but the major one is community reaction and response. The solution is to allay fear and achieve community acceptance. This requires consideration of the associated risk by the involved parties. Many regulatory authorities have issued guidelines on risk exposure for different classes of developments and land use planners apply these practically in conjunction with existing land use zoning. The important issues in the process are the determination of risk profiles, awareness of the factors to be considered in the location of public-use buildings and industrial sites and crucially, the communication of this information to the community.

Land use planners are increasingly looking for suitable tools through which to assess the acceptability of developments. The type of risk assessment approach used depends upon several factors including the intended use of the facilities and the developments. Typical risk assessment tools used to determine risk exposures include quantitative risk assessment (QRA) for higher risk industries and layers of protection analysis (LOPA) for lower risk industries.

The authors have assisted several hazardous facilities and land use planners with input into the decision making process. This has been achieved through the determination of risk profiles and also included raising the awareness of the factors to be considered when deciding on development locations. This paper provides several examples of this work, including assessments of new residential developments and industrial expansion projects.