A hierarchical approach to loss prevention

Accidental loss can occur in four main areas: people, property (or assets), process (or production), and environment. The control of such loss is critical to the uninterrupted operation of businesses and government organizations. By recognizing these facts, managers can place themselves in a better position to both prevent accidents and deal with their consequences. Risk reduction measures aimed at prevention and mitigation can be put in place to deal with hazards such as gas, dust and hybrid mixture explosions. These measures consist of appropriate inherent, engineered (passive and active), and procedural considerations. Risk reduction measures, when ordered as in the previous sentence, form a hierarchy of controls ranging from most to least effective.My research program aims to address these issues of industrial safety through a combination of careful experimentation, modeling, and analytical tool development. Simply put, the long-term goal of my research program is to provide rigorous, validated engineering methodologies for the enhancement of industrial safety. The primary motivation in my work is the protection of the most important element of any business - people.The research proposed in this grant application is grouped under four themes; three correspond to the hierarchy levels of inherent safety, engineered safety and procedural safety, with the fourth addressing an overall framework linking these hierarchical risk reduction measures. Focus on the hierarchy of controls means that the research is aimed at the elimination or avoidance of industrial hazards in the first instance, with residual risk management being accomplished through engineered and procedural means. The research outcomes include experimental data with corresponding model predictions, as well as analytical tools for process design modification and safety measure design.