Course syllabus
Riskanalysens och riskhanteringens grunder
Foundations for Risk Assessment and Management
VRSN05, 7,5 credits, A (Second Cycle)
Valid for: 2020/21
Decided by: PLED BI/RH
Date of Decision: 2020-03-16
General Information
Main field: Disaster Risk Management and Climate Change Adaptation.
Compulsory for: RH4-rh, MKAT1
Language of instruction: The course will be given in English
Aim
The aim of the course is that the students shall gain
fundamental knowledge and understanding of risk analysis, risk
evaluation and risk management, with applications in a broad array
of areas including safety, environment and society. The course also
aims that the students shall gain the ability to utilize tools for
risk analysis, evaluation and management and how they can support
risk-related decisions. Furthermore, the course is aimed at
providing a foundation for continuing studies in the risk
management field.
Learning outcomes
Knowledge and understanding
For a passing grade the student must
- be able to describe the scientific and conceptual foundation
for risk management
- be able to describe different perspectives of the concept of
risk and be aware of the implications of adopting the different
perspectives in a risk management context.
- be able to describe methods for risk analysis, evaluation and
management, their areas of applicability, especially in the area of
safety, environment and society.
- be able to describe different ways of presenting risk, their
limitations and strengths and how they can be applied to evaluate
risks.
- be able to describe different types of uncertainty and how they
can be addressed and handled in a risk analysis and evaluation
context.
Competences and skills
For a passing grade the student must
- be able to critically, systematically and autonomously utilize
concepts, methods and tools for risk analysis and evaluation, also
in new situations.
- be able to report, both orally and in writing, and discuss the
implications of a performed risk assessment in a way understandable
to persons with different knowledge backgrounds.
- be able to suggest risk reduction and risk management measures,
also where there is a lack of information
- be able to utilise material in scientific publications relevant
for risk assessment
Judgement and approach
For a passing grade the student must
- be able to critically reflect on the benefits and limitations
of risk assessments as basis for decision making.
- be able to reflect upon ethical, subjective and societal
dimensions of risk assessments.
Contents
The overriding elements in the course consist of: Introduction
to the field of risk management, including risk analysis, risk
evaluation and risk treatment, detailed treatment of the risk
concept, general risk theory, risk analysis methods within safety,
environment and society, basics of uncertainty and sensitivity,
different ways of evaluation risk and introduction to risk
perception and decision making concerning risk treatment.
During the course, obligatory seminars, as well as a group
project, are to be completed. The project assignment is to be
reported in written form and also orally.
Examination details
Grading scale: TH - (U,3,4,5) - (Fail, Three, Four, Five)
Assessment: The examination represents a combination of results of a written examination, an individual home assignment and a project assignment. Participation in obligatory seminars is required.
The examiner, in consultation with Disability Support Services, may deviate from the regular form of examination in order to provide a permanently disabled student with a form of examination equivalent to that of a student without a disability.
Parts
Code: 0115. Name: Written Examination.
Credits: 4. Grading scale: TH. Assessment: Written examination. Contents: The aim of the course is that the students shall gain fundamental knowledge and understanding of risk analysis, risk evaluation and risk management, with applications in a broad array of areas including safety, environment and society. The course also aims that the students shall gain the ability to utilize tools for risk analysis, evaluation and management and how they can support risk-related decisions. Furthermore, the course is aimed at providing a foundation for continuing studies in the risk management field.
Code: 0215. Name: Project Assignments, Individual Assignments.
Credits: 3,5. Grading scale: UG. Assessment: Successfully completed individual home assignments and group project assignment Contents: During the course, an individual home assignments, as well as a group project, are to be completed. The project assignment is to be reported in written form and also orally.
Admission
The number of participants is limited to: 50
Selection:
Completed university credits within the program. Within programs where the course is given as a compulsory course students are guaranteed admission.
Thereafter priority is given to students enrolled in programs that include the course in the curriculum.
The course overlaps following course/s: VBR180, VBRN01, VBRN45
Reading list
- Hansson, S. O. : Risk: objective or subjective, facts or values. 2010. Journal of Risk Research 13(2): 231-238.
- Slovic, P. : The Risk Game. 2001. Journal of Hazardous Materials 86: 17-24.
- Tehler, H.: A general framework for risk assessment. Division of Risk Management and Societal Safety, Lund University, Sweden, 2015.
- ADPC: COMMUNITY-BASED DISASTER RISK MANAGEMENT – Field practitioners’ handbook. Asian Disaster Preparedness Center, 2008.
- Bier, V. M. : On the state of the art: risk communication to the public. 2001. Reliability Engineering and System Safety, 71: 139-150.
- CCPS: Guidelines for Chemical Process Quantitative Risk Analysis. New York: Center for Chemical Process Safety, American Institute of Chemical Engineers, 2000. Ch. 4-4.3: Risk Measures.
- Duijm, N. J. : Recommendations on the Use and Design of Risk Matrices. 2015. Safety Science, 76, pp. 21-31.
- Garrick, B. J. : Technological Stigmatism, Risk Perception and Truth. 1998. Reliability Engineering and System Safety, 59(1), pp. 41-45.
- ISO/IEC : Risk management – Risk assessment Techniques. Geneva: International Organization for Standardization, 2009. Ch. 1-5, Annex a, B.1-B.6 + B.8-B.9 + B.13-B.15 + B.27-B.29.
- ISO: ISO 31000 Risk Management – Principles and Guidelines. Geneva: International Organization for Standardization, 2009.
- Paté-Cornell, M. E. : Uncertainties in Risk Analysis: Six Levels of Uncertainty Treatment. 1996. Reliability Engineering and System Safety, 54(2-3), pp. 95-111.
- Slovic, P. : Trust, Emotion, Sex, Politics, and Science: Surveying the Risk-Assessment Battlefield. 1999. Risk Analysis, 19(4): 689-701.
- Bier, V. M. : On the state of the art: risk communication to decision-makers. 2001. Reliability Engineering and System Safety, 71: 151-157.
- Fan, A.M., Khan, E.M. & Alexeeff, G.V. : Toxicology and risk assessment. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press, 2015. (Chapter 1.4: Dose-response assessment, pp. 12-19; Ch. 1.5: Exposure assessment, pp. 19-23; Ch. 1.6: Risk characterization, pp. 23-26).
- Hassel, H. & Cedergren, A. : A method for combined risk and continuity management in a municipal context. 2017. The annual European Safety and Reliability Conference ESREL, June 18-22, Portoroz, Slovenia.
- Olsen, O. E., Kruke, B. I. & Hovden, J. : Societal Safety: Concept, Borders and Dilemmas. 2007. Journal of Contingencies and Crisis Management, 15(2): 69-79.
- Slovic, P. : The Risk Game. 2001. Journal of Hazardous Materials, 86(1-3): 17-24.
Contact and other information
Course coordinator: Henrik Hassel, henrik.hassel@risk.lth.se
Course administrator: Hanna Lindbom, hanna.lindbom@risk.lth.se
Further information: Group assignments and seminars require active participation. Each group member must individually be able to account for the content of the project assignment. If a group member does not fulfil the demands of the group or ignores hers/his commitment, she/he can be reassigned to another group or get a fail result.