NEW LIFE SECURDOMINO project fiche
Industrial sites such as chemical plants, energy facilities and oil and gas installations can be vulnerable to physical and cyber-attacks. When one part of a site is affected, it may trigger a “domino effect”: a chain reaction of accidents such as fires, explosions or toxic releases that spread to other areas of the facility. These accidents can harm people, the environment and nearby communities.
Between 1990 and 2020, the EU experienced more than 550 major accidents, 23 of which resulted in domino effects, causing over €1.1 billion in damages and €3.2 million in environmental losses. While EU legislation such as the Seveso-III Directive (focused on chemical accident prevention) and the Critical Infrastructure Protection Programme (focused on security) address parts of the problem, they do not yet fully integrate safety and security risks. Existing tools are limited and do not provide detailed risk indicators, leaving authorities and industry managers without adequate means to prevent or respond effectively.
The LIFE SECURDOMINO project is developing and testing an innovative tool that combines safety and security assessments for industrial sites. Using drone-based inspections and 3D modelling, the system will map sites in detail, identify vulnerable areas and assess how safety barriers (such as protective walls, fire systems or monitoring devices) perform under different scenarios.
LIFE SECURDOMINO’s objectives:
• Test the tool at three demonstration sites: an oil terminal in Italy, a personal care items production in Italy, and a hazardous and non-hazardous materials storage facility in the Netherlands.
• Improve the safety and security of these sites and reduce the time needed for inspections.
• Raise awareness among regulators, industry managers and consultants on how to prevent and reduce domino effects.
• Create a strategy for replicating the tool in over 250 industrial sites across Italy and the Netherlands, with potential to expand across Europe and beyond Seveso-regulated facilities (such as food processing or water treatment plants).
Expected results:
• A practical tool for assessing vulnerabilities and risks in industrial sites.
• An open online repository with models and performance data of safety and security systems.
• A handbook and guidance documents for EU-wide use.
• Application at three demo sites, reducing vulnerability by 40% and risk by 20%.
• Recommendations to support future improvements of the Seveso Directive and policies on land use planning and critical infrastructure protection.
With tested results, measurable environmental benefits and a solid business plan, LIFE Secure Domino is well-positioned to move from pilot innovation to broader market adoption.
Quote from the Coordinating Beneficiary
Gabriele Landucci, Project Coordinator
“As a university developing a commercial solution, we saw firsthand
how the Close-to-Market initiative bridges the academic and business
worlds".
- Project locations
- Italy
- Project website
- LIFE SECURDOMINO