ON MERGING SYSTEM SAFETY AND QUANTITATIVE RISK ASSESSMENT

Among the strengths of QRA are that the qualitative analysis is top-down and event oriented, that the urge to quantity has utility beyond quantification, that QRA forces the examination of uncertainties. These benefits can only be obtained by following the program recommended. Short of that, a major step toward merging safety system with QRA can be made by performing as detailed as qualitative, i.e. hazard, analysis as resources allow, so that the qualitative specification of risk has a reasonable basis. However, the step toward this merger is the adoption of a consistent conceptual framework.