ABSTRACT
The aim of this chapter is to explain the “risk-based approach” commonly adopted for safety-related systems and to introduce techniques for risk estimation. The relationship of risk assessment to other activities in the safety life cycle will be discussed together with a critique of the limitations associated with the risk analysis model. It is worth pointing out at this initial stage that all systems have some degree of risk. To establish ways of reducing that risk, and to make claim that the level of risk is acceptable, we must first understand the nature of the risk involved.
