AbstractThe need for hazard and public safety assessments in the siting of major industrial developments is generally accepted, but their conduct and application in practice is capricious and ends up satisfying no one. This article reviews the safety aspects of the petrochemical development at Mossmorran and Braefoot Bay, and particularly risks associated with the accidental release and ignition of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and ethylene during shipping movements, which illustrate the inadequacy of the present approach.