Uses of Risk Analysis to Achieve Balanced Safety in Building Design and Operations (1991) / Chapter Skim
Currently Skimming:
2. Risk and its Analysis in and around Buildings
2. Risk and its Analysis in and around Buildings
Pages 7-16
The Chapter Skim interface presents what we've algorithmically identified as the most significant single chunk of text within every page in the chapter.
Select key terms on the right to highlight them within pages of the chapter.
From page 7... ...
Building professionals and government authorities have developed extensive design rules and building regulations in an effort to maintain risk at what seems to be reasonable levels. Risk stems from many sources, and the levels of risk judged to be reasonable may differ from one community to another and from time to time.
|
From page 8... ...
However, the committee judges that as many as 90 percent of structural failures, regardless of structural age, may be attributable to human error at some stage of the facility development and use rather than to catastrophic natural events. DEFINING RISK Riski° arises because of a specific hazard- an act, event, or phenomeno~posing potential harm to people or activities or things.
|
From page 9... ...
Radon gas, for example, has been recognized as a potential hazard only within the past two decades, while the toxicity of lead has long been known. The hazards and risks of electromagnetic radiation from such sources as video display terminals, microwave ovens, building wiring, and electrical transmission and distribution lines are still being defined.
|
From page 10... ...
While these building codes are typically based on one of three principal national model codes, they usually reflect unique local concerns and legislative processes. There are estimated to be more than 10
|
From page 11... ...
Federal government agencies, although not strictly subject to local building codes, have adopted similar requirements to protect the health and safety of their own workers as well as the public at large. These criteria and codes generally seek to restrict or eliminate specific hazards, and do not typically recognize the principle that risks cannot be completely avoided.
|
From page 12... ...
Inspection, testing, and other quality control activities in design, construction, and operation are undertaken to avoid increasing risk due to errors or oversights of the designer, faulty construction practices, or inadequate operation and maintenance programs. Risk management professionals seek to assure that risks that cannot be physically limited are effectively reduced or transferred through such means as insurance, emergency response planning, and damage control.
|
From page 13... ...
Loverly stringent building codes are blamed by some observers for shortages of affordable housing. Facility failures caused by the Loma Prieta earthquake disrupted financial markets and economic activity within a large region.
|
From page 14... ...
However, there are no commonly applied comprehensive measures of safety or standards of acceptable safety. Furthermore, people seem to demand much lower levels of risk when they are dealing with particularly feared or unknown consequences.
|
From page 15... ...
i8For example, highway drivers routinely exceed speed limits and state governments have raised speed limits, despite widespread knowledge that accident severity increases sharply as speeds increase.
|
From page 16... ...
Wider application of the logic and procedures of risk analysis can benefit facility design and management. Risk analysis, as an instrument of risk management, can encourage forethought and better informed decisions.~9 Experience in other fields confirms that formal risk assessment contributes to improved overall safety and a better balance of effort to reduce risks.
|
Key Terms
This material may be derived from roughly machine-read images, and so is provided only to facilitate research.
More
information on Chapter Skim is available.