Safety Dynamics

Book excerpt: This book describes a systematic approach to risk assessment for complex socio-technical systems like industrial processes, especially innovative ones. It provides an overview of applications of system dynamics theory and methodologies on industrial systems in order to demonstrate the relevance of such an approach in helping to assess risks in such complex systems. An important feature of this approach is that it takes into account the dynamic of the interactions of the components (technical, human and organizational ones) in order to study and simulate the behavior of the system. This methodology helps to define the failures and/or accident scenarios and to implement and test the prevention and protection barriers. This book is of particular interest to students and teachers at university level (Master and Doctorate) and to engineers interested in risk analysis and management.