This is a view of Jakarta from one of our client’s offices located in the Pondok Indah area.
As a safety engineer, one of the most common and important studies that we get involved in is the Escape, Evacuation and Rescue Analysis (EERA). In this study, we typically perform a computer simulated human response to an emergency even such as a fire on a petrochemical or offshore facility. The simulation takes into account age, gender, clothing, training, and also escape aids such as marked route etc.
In these facilities, resources have been spent to ensure that the design of escape / evacuation routes meet codes and standards and minimize lost of life.
Going back to the picture of the settlement, with such high density and ad-hoc planning, the potential for a disaster is much higher since escape and evacuation are never considered during building placement. Moreover, local residents are never trained to anticipate and respond to any disaster.
So the perception that oil and gas operators are exposed to higher risks than the general public may not be true after all!