Consequence Analysis
What is Domino Effect Analysis in Major Hazard Facilities?
Vinit Pandey · Published 4 August 2026
In short: Domino effect analysis assesses how an initial incident — typically a fire, explosion, or toxic release — can escalate to affect neighbouring equipment or units through thermal radiation, blast overpressure, or fragment impact, extending the scale of consequences beyond the originating event.
Key takeaways
- Domino effect analysis matters most where equipment is closely spaced or units are interconnected
- Thermal radiation escalation informs passive fire protection and minimum spacing decisions
- Overpressure escalation is a particular concern in congested areas prone to vapour cloud explosion
- Fragment or projectile escalation may require shielding beyond what spacing alone provides
Domino effect analysis is particularly important at facilities with closely spaced equipment or interconnected units, such as petrochemical complexes and refineries, where a fire or explosion at one location may not remain contained to its point of origin.
Thermal radiation escalation considers whether nearby vessels or structures could be heated to failure by sustained radiant heat from a fire, informing decisions on passive fire protection, deluge system coverage, and minimum safe spacing distances.
Overpressure escalation considers whether blast waves from an explosion could damage neighbouring equipment sufficiently to cause a secondary loss of containment, a particular concern in congested process areas prone to vapour cloud explosion.
Fragment or projectile escalation considers debris from a vessel failure — such as a BLEVE — travelling far enough to damage equipment beyond the immediate blast or thermal radiation zone, a scenario that equipment spacing alone may not adequately mitigate without additional shielding.