Safety around Schiphol

The interactive atlas provides a picture of the safety situation around Schiphol. Which area runs the highest risk and how high is that risk? What limits are set by the policy? And what has changed between 1997 and 2000?

What can you see on the map?

The map shows the risk contours for 1997 and 2000. These contours show the areas where the probability of a fatal accident caused by an incident with an aeroplane is greater than 1 in 1 million. Within this area, the probability of being killed as a result of an aviation accident is greater in the year 2001 for approximately 4000 people than is considered to be acceptable for other branches. (See the comments under 'policy'.)

• See also the indicator External safety risks around Schiphol airport, 1990-2001

The differences between the contours for successive years are the result of changes in, for example, the numbers of flights, the allocation of flights to runways and/or changes to aeroplanes.

• Start interactive atlas: Safety around Schiphol
• General introduction to Schiphol: Interactive noise and safety atlas.

Comments on risk contours

A risk contour links points with the same risk. The maps show the local risk. The local risk is one of the measures used in the external safety policy (see also introduction to risks). The local risk is defined as the probability that a person who is at a location permanently without protection will die as a direct consequence of an incident at a particular establishment. In this case, this would be an incident with a plane using Schiphol Airport. A local risk of 10^-6 a year means that the probability per year of a fatal incident at that location is 1 in 1,000,000. It is possible to determine, for the area circumscribed by each of the contours, the surface area, the number of homes, the number of people who live there, etc. (see also local risk in the Netherlands).

Policy

The aim of the general policy for local risk is to reduce the risk to a maximum of 1 in 1 million by 2010. This policy applies to all business activities, with the exception of Schiphol. The basic position for Schiphol is that, in time, people will no longer be allowed to live in the 5x10^-5 contour (probability of a fatal accident of 1 in 20,000), that no more building will be allowed within the 10^-5 (1 in 100,000) contour and that there should be no worsening of the general safety situation.

• See also the indicators Local risk in the Netherlands, 2001 and External safety risks around Schiphol airport, 1990-2001.

Other maps

In addition to the comparison of the various risk contours for the years 1997 to 2000, you can also change the background to the map. As a result, it is possible to establish a picture of the housing and population densities within the contours and in the Schiphol region.

Relevant sections and indicators in the Environmental Data Compendium

• Schiphol: Interactive noise and safety atlas
• Noise around Schiphol - current situation and current policy
• Noise around Schiphol - after the opening of the fifth runway
• External safety risks: the risk of an accident (introduction)
  An introduction to external safety with an explanation of risks, causes and policy.
• Local risk in the Netherlands, 2001
  The area in the Netherlands where the standard for local risk is exceeded as a result of the presence of high-risk companies. The number of people in these various areas at risk of an accident with fatal consequences.
• External safety risks around Schiphol airport, 1990-2001
  The number of homes and inhabitants and the area exposed to unacceptable risks because of Schiphol (the local risk). In addition, the probability of a disaster has been calculated for ten and 100 deaths respectively (the group risk).

Relevant information outside of the Environmental Data Compendium

• RIVM (2002). Environmental Balance 2002. Kluwer, Alphen aan den Rijn.