Wayne County School District

Updated risk hazard assessment for multi-building high school expansion

Proactive prevention is highly recommended for dynamic environments, like school systems, that may be subject to state and local requirements. Located adjacent to an active natural gas pipeline and high-voltage power lines, Wayne County High School’s expansion required rigorous hazard verification before three new buildings could move forward.

ECS Group of Companies evaluated 20 potential hazards for the Wayne County Board of Education, applying computer modeling and field measurements to quantify risks at scale. The core technical challenge was demonstrating that proposed construction met Georgia Department of Education safety thresholds across multiple, simultaneous hazard categories.

Challenge: Dealing with layered hazards for construction of new buildings

The updated risk hazard assessment had to account for significant site plan changes, including three new structures added since the 2023 assessment. Proximity to a natural gas pipeline, fuel tanker truck routes and 115KV power lines each introduced distinct regulatory and safety constraints governed by Georgia DOE guidelines.

Solution: Modeled, measured and mitigated across three hazard types

ECS applied Areal Locations of Hazardous Atmospheres (ALOHA) software to model toxic and flammable vapor cloud scenarios and Archie modeling for Boiling Liquid Expanding Vapor Explosion (BLEVE) hazards from fuel tankers. Field coordination with Georgia Power produced direct EMF measurements, confirming a maximum magnetic field levels below the 2,000 mG public exposure guideline.