1. The focus of this course is on analyzing complex systems, tasks, and combinations of tasks for hazards and the associated risks.
2. Most of the major accidents that occur each year result from a series of events that come together in an accident chain or sequence and result in numerous deaths, environmental consequences, and property destruction. These accidents can occur anytime in the system’s life cycle. Risk assessment tools and techniques, if applied systematically and appropriately, can point out these types of vulnerabilities in a system.
3. A risk assessment should begin early in the life cycle of complex systems. Preliminary hazard analysis (PHA), and as the design of a system progresses other tools can be applied, such as failure mode and effect analysis (FMEA) and fault tree analysis (FTA). Probabilistic risk assessment (PRA) and human reliability analysis (HRA) are techniques used to analyze very complex systems. These tools usually require a well-developed design, an operating philosophy, and at least working copies of procedures to provide enough material to perform analyses.

1. The focus of this course is on analyzing complex systems, tasks, and combinations of tasks for hazards and the associated risks.
2. Most of the major accidents that occur each year result from a series of events that come together in an accident chain or sequence and result in numerous deaths, environmental consequences, and property destruction. These accidents can occur anytime in the system’s life cycle. Risk assessment tools and techniques, if applied systematically and appropriately, can point out these types of vulnerabilities in a system.
3. A risk assessment should begin early in the life cycle of complex systems. Previous hazard analysis (PHA), and as the design of a system progresses other tools can be applied, such as failure mode and effect analysis (FMEA) and fault tree analysis (FTA). Probabilistic risk assessment (PRA) and human reliability analysis (HRA) are techniques used to analyze very complex systems. These tools usually requires a well-developed design, an operating philosophy, and at least working copies of procedures to provide enough material to perform analysis.

Lee T. Ostrom and Cheryl A. Wilhelmsen. Risk Assessment Tools, Techniques, and Their Applications. Wiley. Hoboken, NJ USA. 2012.

Lee T. Ostrom and Cheryl A. Wilhelmsen. Risk Assessment Tools, Techniques, and Their Applications. Wiley. Hoboken, NJ USA. 2012.