Qualitative Frequency Evaluation

Qualitative frequency evaluation can be used to screen out events that are extremely unlikely to occur (i.e., have such a remote chance of occurring that further evaluation is unnecessary). This method is particularly appropriate for use in conjunction with qualitative consequence evaluation as a means of ranking risks. 

Qualitative frequency evaluation involves defining broad categories of event frequency, which can be used to assess the likelihood of occurrence of a specific incident outcome (consequence). These categories cover a full spectmm of frequencies, from those representing events that are likely to those that are highly unlikely. Definitions of likelihood categories vary, but Table 5.4 presents a typical list and definitions. 

Risk is the safety measure of a potential future event, stated in terms of event likelihood and event severity. Likelihood can be characterized in terms of probability, frequency, or qualitative criteria, while severity can be characterized in terms of death, injury, dollar loss, and so on. Mishap risk analysis is the process of identifying and evaluating the risk presented by a system hazard. HA is an integral part of risk analysis since safety risk can only be determined via the identification of hazards and risk assessment of those identified hazards. See Hazard Risk and Mishap Risk for additional related information. 

Due to the nature of the particular type of cycle gas compression at the facility, a significant release of hydrocarbon, though highly unlikely, could not be placed in a frequency category of 1 "not realistically expected to occur." For these reasons, the qualitative assessment team ranked the scenario as a "2" frequency. It was felt that a QRA would only confirm this evaluation. 

In general, risk reduction is accomplished by implementing one or more protective layers, which reduce the frequency and/or consequence of the hazard scenario. LOPA provides specific criteria and restrictions for the evaluation of protection layers, eliminating the subjectivity of qualitative methods at substantially less cost than fully quantitative techniques. LOPA is a rational, defensible methodology that allows a rapid, cost-effective means for identifying the protection layers that lower the frequency and/or the consequence of specific hazard scenarios. 

The quantitative evaluation of expected risk from potential incident scenarios. It examines both consequences and frequencies, and how they combine into an overall measure of risk. The CPQRA process is always preceded by a qualitative systematic identification of process hazards. The CPQRA results may be used to make decisions, particularly when mitigation of risk is considered. 

An exposure assessment is the quantitative or qualitative evaluation of the amount of a substance that humans come into contact with and includes consideration of the intensity, frequency and duration of contact, the route of exposure (e.g., dermal, oral, or respiratory), rates (chemical intake or uptake rates), the resulting amount that actually crosses the boundary (a dose), and the amount absorbed (internal dose). Depending on the purpose of an exposure assessment, the numerical output may be an estimate of the intensity, rate, duration, and frequency of contact exposure or dose (the resulting amount that actually crosses the boundary). For risk assessments of chemical substances based on dose-response relationships, the output usually includes an estimate of dose (WHO/IPCS 1999). 

We have implemented the principle of multiple selective excitation (pulse sequence II in fig. 1) thereby replacing the low-power CW irradiation in the preparation period of the basic ID experiment by a series of selective 180° pulses. The whole series of selective pulses at frequencies /i, /2, , / is applied for several times in the NOE build-up period to achieve sequential saturation of the selected protons. Compared with the basic heteronuclear ID experiment, in this new variant the sensitivity is improved by the combined application of sequential, selective pulses and the more efficient data accumulation scheme. Quantitation of NOEs is no longer straightforward since neither pure steady-state nor pure transient effects are measured and since cross-relaxation in a multi-spin system after perturbation of a single proton (as in the basic experiment) or of several protons (as in the proposed variant) differs. These attributes make this modified experiment most suitable for the qualitative recognition of heteronuclear dipole-dipole interactions rather than for a quantitative evaluation of the corresponding effects. 

The workplace practices source release assessment module identifies 1) the workplace practices that contribute to environmental releases and worker exposure and 2) the sources, amounts, and characteristics of environmental releases Exposure assessment is the quantitative or qualitative evaluation of the contact an organism (human or environmental) may have with a chemical or physical agent, which describes the magnitude, frequency, duration, and route of contact. 

The usefulness of spectral densities in nonequilibrium statistical mechanics, spectroscopy, and quantum mechanics is indicated in Section I. In Section II we discuss a number of known properties of spectral densities, which follow from only the form of their definitions, the equations of motion, and equilibrium properties of the system of interest. These properties, particularly the moments of spectral density, do not require an actual solution to the equations of motion, in order to be evaluated. Section III introduces methods which allow one to determine optimum error bounds for certain well-defined averages over spectral densities using only the equilibrium properties discussed in Section II. These averages have certain physical interpretations, such as the response to a damped harmonic perturbation, and the second-order perturbation energy. Finally, Section IV discusses extrapolation methods for estimating spectral densities themselves, from the equilibrium properties, combined with qualitative estimates of the way the spectral densities fall off at high frequencies. 

NQR frequencies for 3SC1 at 77 °K in ortho-, meta- and para-dichlorobenzene are given in Table II.3. The interpretation of the results runs into difficulties because of the crystal field effects. These influences are very difficult to evaluate. They certainly change from substance to substance. Qualitatively, we can characterize the crystal field effect in the following way 76). 

Graphical methods provide a first step toward interpretation and evaluation of impedance data. An outline of graphical methods is presented in Chapter 16 for simple reactive and blocking circuits. The same concepts are applied here for systems that are more typical of practical applications. The graphical techniques presented in this chapter do not depend on any specific model. The approaches, therefore, can provide a qualitative interpretation. Surprisingly, even in the absence of specific models, values of such physically meaningful parameters as the double-layer capacitance can be obtained from high- or low-frequency asymptotes. 

Although less important than peak frequencies, peak intensities obviously play a role in quantitative analysis and, in many cases, qualitative identification. Multivariate calibration techniques and their transferability depend on reproducible relative peak heights. A possibly lengthy method development procedure may fail when a different spectrometer is used, if the observed intensities vary. Reproducibility of absolute signal is difficult to achieve between labs or even between instruments of the same design, but it is important for a particular instrument. Absolute intensities can at least be used to evaluate day-to-day instrument performance and to detect hardware or alignment problems. 

---