Entry requirements

145 credits including Essay STS and 90 credits within Technology.

Learning outcomes

On completion of the course, the student should be able to:

• using probabilistic methods and tools for safety assessment,
• conduct comprehensive analyses of complex systems with regard to the humans, technology and organisation,
• identify, apply and assess different models for PSA and MTO risk analysis in real situations,
• discuss the possibilities with technology and its risks as well as the interaction between technology and humanity,
• orally and in writing present and discuss problems, solutions and conclusions,
• review and oppose on a technical report.

Content

The course is a project based course where students do a risk analysis of a complex dynamic system. Students work in groups to implement a Probabilistic Safety Analysis (PSA) and a Man, Technology and Organisation (MTO) analysis. Depending on project selection and supervisor access, projects can be made in nuclear activities, IT systems, industry, transport, or any other complex system.

PSA: risk, risk assessment, risk management, event trees, fault trees, basic and top events, minimal cut and path sets, reliability block diagram, structure function, reliability and unreliability, failure distributions, common cause failure, uncertainties in PSA, databases.

MTO: systems concept, human reliability analysis, safety culture, organisational security, sharp-end blunt end, human errors and violations, barriers, behaviour, cognitive ergonomics, human factors engineering, human cognition, cognitive system, resilience engineering.

Instruction

Lectures, computer lab, group and project work.

Assessment

Written project reports of PSA (4 credits) and MTO (4 credits). Oral project presentation (1 credit). Written opposition (1 credit).

If there are special reasons for doing so, an examiner may make an exception from the method of assessment indicated and allow a student to be assessed by another method. An example of special reasons might be a certificate regarding special pedagogical support from the disability coordinator of the university.