Lessons from safety assessment natural disasters and other hazards

Abstract

The anticipation and prevention of potential industrial accidents with severe consequences has benefited from the development of formal methods of assessment for the different stages of the life cycle of an accident. A similar approach has subsequently been applied in other situations where anticipation of hazards is necessary, including natural disasters and in areas such as food safety and public health. The application of the methods in high hazard sectors of industry has been accompanied by new regulatory procedures in the UK to ensure effective implementation. This paper reviews the relevant lessons from experience of regulating and managing industrial safety and responding to natural disasters and other hazards. It is concluded that learning from this experience would be beneficial to assessing and minimizing threats from terrorist acts and to improving preparedness and prioritizing protective measures. © 2006 Springer.