Risk Assessment: Tools, Techniques, and Their Applications

Risk Assessment: Tools, Techniques, and Their Applications

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Book description

All the tools needed to perform a thorough risk assessment—whether you're working in insurance, forensics, engineering, or public safety

Risk analysis is the method of analyzing the dangers to individuals, businesses, and government agencies posed by potential natural and man-made hazards. The central task of the risk assessor is predicting the success of a project. This includes isolating the entire spectrum of adverse events that can derail a project or threaten the health and safety of individuals, organizations, and the environment.

Designed as a practical, in-the-field toolkit, Risk Assessment details every aspect of how a risk assessment is performed, showing the proper tool to be used at various steps in the process, as well as locating the tool that best fits the risk assessment task at hand. Examining not only the very nature of risks and consequences, with fascinating historical examples, the book progresses from simple to more complex risk assessment techniques used by the authors in their daily work, all presented in a form that can be readily adapted to any number of real-life situations:

With numerous industry-specific case studies, as well as additional case studies for risk assessments for a restaurant and a process plant, the book provides readers with complete examples of how each of the techniques can be used in a variety of real-world situations. Including downloadable worksheets and other useful assessment materials, as well as guidance on using PRA software, this unparalleled reference offers all the tools and techniques needed to conduct a thorough and accurate assessment of risk.

Note: The ebook version does not provide access to the companion files.

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Table of contents

  1. Cover
  2. Title Page
  3. Copyright
  4. List of Figures
  5. List of Tables
  6. Acknowledgments
  7. Chapter 1: Introduction to Risk Assessment
    1. 1.1 Terminology
    2. 1.2 Performing Risk Assessments
    3. 1.3 Risk Assessment Team
    4. References
    1. 2.1 Knowledge Level
    2. References
    1. 3.1 Introduction
    2. 3.2 Risk and Consequence
    3. 3.3 Credible Consequences
    4. 3.4 Summary
    5. References
    1. 4.1 Introduction
    2. 4.2 Deep Water Horizon
    3. 4.3 Love Canal
    4. 4.4 Minimata Methylmercury
    5. 4.5 Agent Orange
    6. 4.6 Seveso, Italy
    7. 4.7 Risk of Ecological Disasters
    8. 4.8 Ecological Risk Assessment
    9. 4.9 Summary
    10. References
    1. 5.1 What Is Task Analysis?
    2. 5.2 Why A Task Analysis?
    3. 5.3 When To Use Task Analysis?
    4. 5.4 Task Analysis Process
    5. References
    1. 6.1 Description
    2. 6.2 Using Process Hazard for Procedure Design
    3. 6.3 Using PHA for Preliminary Product Design
    4. 6.4 Summary
    5. References
    1. 7.1 Introduction
    2. 7.2 Probability Theory
    3. 7.3 Combining Probabilities
    4. 7.4 Conditional Probability
    5. 7.5 Probability Distributions
    6. 7.6 Using Probability
    7. 7.7 Summary
    8. References
    1. 8.1 Risk Assessment Data
    2. 8.2 Overall Summary
    3. References
    1. 9.1 Introduction
    2. 9.2 Summary
    3. References
    1. 10.1 Introduction
    2. 10.2 Task Analysis
    3. 10.3 HRA Modeling
    4. 10.4 Quantifying Human Error Probability (HEP)
    5. 10.5 Documentation
    6. 10.6 Use of Human Reliability Analysis Techniques for Analyzing Procedures
    7. References
    1. 11.1 Introduction
    2. 11.2 Method
    3. 11.3 Building on the Results of a Critical Incident Technique Session
    4. 11.4 Summary
    5. References
    1. 12.1 Event Trees
    2. 12.2 Decision Trees
    3. 12.3 Case Study: Chernobyl
    4. 12.4 Summary
    5. References
    1. 13.1 Introduction
    2. 13.2 Critical Functions
    3. 13.3 Conducting a Critical Function Analysis
    4. 13.4 Summary
    5. References
    1. 14.1 History
    2. 14.2 Application
    3. 14.3 Fault Tree Construction
    4. 14.4 Event Symbols
    5. 14.5 Logic Gates
    6. 14.6 Analysis Procedure
    7. 14.7 Examples of Fault Tree Analysis
    8. 14.8 Summary
    9. References
    1. 15.1 Description
    2. 15.2 Requirements of the Risk Assessment
    3. 15.3 Simplified PRA Procedure
    4. 15.4 Hazard Identification and Evaluation
    5. 15.5 Qualitative Risk Assessment
    6. 15.6 Quantitative Risk Assessment
    7. 15.7 Uses of PRA
    8. 15.8 Conclusion
    9. References
    1. 16.1 What Is Qualitative Research?
    2. 16.2 Quantitative
    3. 16.3 Risk Assessment Perspective
    4. 16.4 Conclusion
    5. References
    1. 17.1 Introduction
    2. 17.2 Case Study 1: Intruder
    3. 17.3 Case Study 2: Multipurpose Academic Building
    4. Reference
    1. 18.1 Introduction
    2. 18.2 Failure Mode and Effect Analysis
    3. 18.3 Event Tree and Fault Tree Analysis
    4. 18.4 Summary
    5. References
    1. 19.1 Introduction
    2. 19.2 Example Analysis
    3. 19.3 Summary
    4. References
    1. 20.1 Introduction
    2. 20.2 Plague Example
    3. 20.3 Tularemia Example
    4. 20.4 Anthrax Example
    5. 20.5 Ebola Example
    6. 20.6 Smallpox Example
    7. 20.7 TB Example
    8. 20.8 Typhoid Fever Example
    9. 20.9 Influenza Example
    10. 20.10 Example of Measles, Mumps, and Rubella
    11. 20.11 Polio Example
    12. 20.12 Pertussis (Whooping Cough)
    13. 20.13 Cholera Example
    14. 20.14 Summary
    15. References
    1. 21.1 Introduction
    2. 21.2 Example Analysis
    3. 21.3 Summary
    4. References
    1. 22.1 Case Study 1: Overview
    2. 22.2 Case Study 2: Overview
    3. 22.3 Case Study 3: Overview
    4. 22.4 Case Study 4: Overview
    5. References
    1. 23.1 Introduction
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