109: Risk Acceptance Issue

Node Risk Acceptance Issue

Definition/Typical Issues

Were inappropriate risk acceptance criteria used during the safety/hazard/risk/reliability/quality/security review? Were the risk acceptance criteria improperly applied? Were risks deemed acceptable that should have been reduced?

Typical analyses addressed by this node include:

  • Process hazard analyses
  • Hazard and operability analyses
  • Reliability analyses
  • Security vulnerability analyses
  • Failure modes and effects analyses
  • Reliability-centered maintenance analyses
  • Enterprise risk management analyses
  • Project risk management analyses
  • Fault tree analyses
  • Event tree analyses
  • Probabilistic risk assessments
  • Job safety analyses

Examples 

Example 1

  • An explosion occurred when the incorrect material was fed into the reactor. The supplier had mislabeled the material. The hazard review had identified this as a risk factor but concluded that the risks associated with not analyzing the incoming materials were acceptable.

Example 2

  • A team performing a security assessment had not been given clear guidance on what risks were and were not acceptable. As a result, several scenarios were inappropriately dispositioned.

Example 3

  • Company criteria for multiple layers of safeguards allowed a large risk reduction credit for relief valves in systems. As a result, insufficient attention was given to reducing the frequency of relief valve actuations.

Example 4

  • During a process hazard assessment, the team used an inappropriate risk matrix. As a result, they judged risks as acceptable with no action required. They should have developed recommendations to address some of these risks.

Typical Recommendations

  • Ensure that a diverse team (able to reasonably assess the appropriate risks) is involved in the hazard review.
  • Develop more objective criteria for judging risk levels (e.g., a simplified risk scoring scheme or listing requiring safeguards for specific situations).
  • Provide guidance to team members to help ensure that the reviews are conducted properly.
  • Develop the appropriate risk tolerance criteria or guidance for use in risk-based decision-making situations.

Cross-References

Version 10 Element(s)
Node ID Node Name
76 Risk Acceptance Criteria LTA

 

Maritime Element(s)
Node ID Node Name
87 Risk Acceptance Criteria Issue
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