Reliability data for modelling complex systems: Some comments on data-handling in integrated regional risk assessment and safety management

Reliability data assessment may be a part of integrated regional risk assessment and safety management (IRRASM). This article considers the description and modelling of technical events within reliability analysis. Normally, problems arise in a practical approach, for example in the description of components and their failures, to warrant homogeneity of samples and to choose an adequate source of data. Beside statistical modelling, an analysis has to avoid the pitfall rushing to conclusions: similar-looking failure data are seductive, but their usage of different data sources needs much additional information about methods, models and descriptions of components. Some of these difficulties are pointed out by examples.