Differences in the risk profiles and risk perception of flammable liquid hazards in San Luis Potosi, Mexico

• Exposure assessment is evaluated using the US EPA’s worst case scenario.
• A prioritization of hazards, based on the facilities’ internal controls, is proposed.
• Recognition of major concern areas is based on facilities’ emergency preparedness and social perception.
• Perception of hazards is influenced by the distance to the industrial area.

The pace of urbanization and industrialization in developing countries is rapidly increasing. Unfortunately, regulatory and private-sector control of hazards has not always kept pace. This work identifies the level of emergency preparedness in chemical industries and evaluates the spatial distribution of hazards using a worst-case release scenario. Consequently, we identified potentially exposed urban communities and evaluated the social perception of a hazard. This research characterizes risk scenarios in a case study of the industrial area in San Luis Potosi, Mexico. Intervention zones of major concern are recognized when deficiencies in emergency preparedness join a poor social perception of hazards in communities that are potentially exposed. The worst-case scenario radii of flammable chemicals range from 425 m to 733 m. Potentially exposed communities have a limited perception of chemical risk and no training in emergency response. Proximity to an industrial area influences communities towards a better recognition of hazards. However, communities far from the industrial area have higher exposure to low preparedness worst-case scenarios for flammable chemicals and have a larger level of vulnerability because of their lack of risk perception.