Risk assessment and the safety case in dam safety decisions

This paper outlines in a conceptual way some thoughts on how complex dam safety decisions might be made in terms of a “Safety Case”. The ideas are based on the guidance provided by the UK Health and Safety Executive and are consistent with the guidance on the application of the analytic-deliberative approach put forward by the US National Research Council. The conceptual proposal incorporates relevant aspects of experience in other industries and situations where decisions concerning the management of risk engender significant public concern. The role of effective communication between the dam owner's engineers, the owner, the regulator and the risk bearers is discussed.

• INTRODUCTION

• CONTEXT

• DAM SAFETY STANDARDS SETTING – INDICATORS OF CHANGE

• THE SAFETY CASE CONCEPT AS IT MIGHT APPLY TO DAMS

• GUIDANCE FROM OTHER INDUSTRIES

• GENERAL FRAMEWORK FOR APPLICATION

• PERFORMANCE GOALS

• SAFETY AND RISK ASSESSMENT

• COMMUNICATION

• CONCLUSIONS

• ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

• REFERENCES