SafetyatSea has undertaken specialised risk assessment studies in support of decision making in the context of ship design, operations and the development of safety regulations.

The specialism relates to our approach of utilising modern engineering analysis tools and methods in support of practical expert opinion and other quantitative analysis techniques (fault trees, event trees, analysis of casualty statistics, etc.).

SafetyatSea has expertise in undertaking risk assessments to support risk management of shipping operations. We have undertaken risk assessments in relation to fire/explosions, collision, grounding and accidental pollution.

Formal Safety Assessment (FSA)

FSA is a structured and systematic methodology, aimed at enhancing maritime safety, including protection of life, health, the marine environment and property, by using risk analysis and cost benefit assessment. FSA can be used as a tool to help in the evaluation of new regulations for maritime safety and protection of the marine environment or in making a comparison between existing and possibly improved regulations, with a view to achieving a balance between the various technical and operational issues, including the human element, and between maritime safety or protection of the marine environment and costs.

FSA consists of five main steps:

  1. hazard identification
  2. risk analysis
  3. risk reduction (risk control options)
  4. cost-benefit analysis
  5. recommendations

SafetyatSea has undertaken and participated in various FSA studies on a varied range of topics related to shipping and the safety of human life and protection of the environment. We specialise in undertaking quantitative risk analysis which combine independent experts' practical knowledge with historical statistics and state-of-the-art engineering analysis. The later is very valuable when evaluating the risk reduction effectiveness of new risk control options for which historical or practical experience is not directly available.

Further information

Luis Guarin (l.guarin@safety-at-sea.co.uk)
Dracos Vassalos (d.vassalos@na-me.ac.uk)