Risk assessments accident issues

Definition of scope, then definition and understanding of the issue. Describe prohahilistic risk assessment accident scenario. 

The severe accident research program improved public risk assessment, reduced uncertainties, and the reliance on subjective expert opinion. To close two severe accident issues in NRC s Severe Accident Research Plan (NUREG-1365) Mark I Liner Attack and Direct Containment Heating (DCH) were addressed with a new approach using the Risk Oriented Accident Analysis Method (ROAAM) (Theofanous, 1994, 1989). The resolution of the Mark-I Liner Attack issue constitutes the first full demonstration of ROAAM. It emphasizes the determinism and provides a basis for synergistic collaboration among experts through a common communication frame. 

Risk iuialysis of accidents serves a dual purpose. It estimates tlie probability tliat iui accident will occur and also assesses the severity of the consequences of an accident. Consequences may include dmnage to tlie surrounding enviromnent, financial loss, injury to life and/or deatli. This Part of the book (Part IV) is primarily concerned witli tlie metliods used to identify liazards and causes and consequences of accidents. Issues dealing witli healtli risks have been explored in die previous Part (III). Risk assessment of accidents provides an effective way to help ensure eidier diat a mishap will not occur or reduces the likelihood of an accident. The result of die risk assessment also allows concerned parties to take precautions to prevent an accident before it happens. 

Once tlie system components and their failure modes have been identified, tlie acceptability of risks taken as a result of such failures must be determined. Tlie risk assessment process yields more comprehensive and better results when reliable statistical and probability data are available. In tlie absence of such data, tlie results are a strong function of tlie engineering judgment of tlie design team. The important issue is tliat both tlie severity and probability (frequency) of the accident must be taken into account. 

Although the decision associated with the application of a standard is a decision with a pass or fail value, the application of a standard implies recognition of uncertainty underlying its derivation and in the assessment of compliance. The exceedance of a speed limit by a few miles per hour does not usually lead to prosecution. This may be because the standard is precautionary or because the measuring device is not 100% accurate. The police might choose to act only when the limit is exceeded by, say, 10%, a policy that reflects issues of confidence and precision and the consequences of the violation in terms of the risk of accidents. At greater exceedances of the speed limit, more serious consequences for the offender are likely therefore, the absolute limit value of the speed limit is not necessarily implemented as an absolute limit that if exceeded will result in equivalent consequences. 

FIGURE 7. Steps of the risk assessment. This introduces a management issue concerning a chemical release to the environment (an industrial accident). 

An employer must be in possession of a risk assessment and has to keep records of accidents. Workers have the right to information and consultation by the employer on issues regarding safety at the workplace, i.e. measures or training. 

Safety science addresses the issue of how to assess the degree of risk in systems, and how this risk develops. Accidents and natural disasters are the prime research subjects of safety science. 

What can be learned from these two contrasting cases No doubt you have drawn some of your own conclusions and in doing so have started to consider your responsibilities within the reality of the work place. In both cases the key issues for teachers were quality of facility and the level of supervision, which are inextricably linked to the nature of the activity. When examining evidence, it is not unusual for teachers to try to locate the accident in a particular situation, for example, Yes, but if we didn t use the field... or, but boys will be boys , but what is important is that teachers should have already considered this in their risk assessment and taken adequate measures to remove the risk. 

According to Brito Almeida (2009) there are some limitations to traditional methods of risk analysis and risk assessment that are used for pipelines. These approaches do not consider the multiple dimensions that the impact o f accidents can cause with regard to human, financial and environmental issues. 

Until now, no similar index has been developed and used in road safety issues. Most previous work in international road safely assessment has focused on one or a few indicators (as outlined in the previous chapters). Most of the macro-models compare countries road safety performance by means of risk indicators (accident rates), which are few and isolated. However, road safety represents complex phenomena, where a high number of accident factors and indicators of human, vehicle, road, enviromnent, regulation are involved. A systematic way to add up aU the potential indicators combined with weights into one index is required. This will directly compare the road safety level and progress across a large number of countries and regions worldwide. 

Additional training may well be needed following a single or series of accidents or near misses, the introduction of new legislation, the issuing of an enforcement notice or as a result of a risk assessment or safety audit. 

The assessment should cover the proposed normal use of the product and treated material if applicable. In addition, the realistic worst-case scenarios should include reasonably foreseeable misuse, such as ingestion by a child, but not accidents or attempted suicides). It should also include relevant production and disposal issues for both the product and treated material. Therefore, the risk assessment should cover the entire the lifecycle of the product. 

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