Risks in Technological Systems

Goran Grimvall is a professor emeritus of physics at the Royal Institute of Technology (KTH), Stockholm, Sweden where he has served as dean at the School of Engineering Physics. In addition to three monographs in materials science he has published extensively on everyday physics and written several textbooks on engineering physics. Professor Grimvall is a member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Engineering Sciences since 1986. Ake J. Holmgren is a senior analyst at the Swedish Civil Contingencies Agency (MSB), where his practical work concerns mainly SCADA (Supervisory, Control and Data Acquisition) and process control system security. Previously he has been employed as a senior analyst at the Swedish Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), and as a scientist at the Swedish Defence Research Agency (FOI). He is a faculty member of the Department of Safety Research at the Royal Institute of Technology (KTH), Stockholm, Sweden, and his areas of research include quantitative risk and vulnerability analysis of large technical systems, as well as operational risk and crisis management. He holds a PhD degree in Safety Analysis and an MSc degree in civil engineering, both from KTH, as well as a BSc degree in business administration and economics from Stockholm University. Per Jacobsson holds university degrees in surveying, mathematics and philosophy, education, and sociology and has trained in environmental medicine. After a brief career in surveying engineering, he has served, inter alia, as secretary on several commissions, especially concerning the interplay between technology and society, sustainable development and the quality of university education, in which areas he has also been responsible for several courses and projects. He is former director of the Centre for Environmental Science at the Royal Institute of Technology (KTH), Stockholm, Sweden and is currently Senior Administrative Officer at its University Administration. Torbjorn Thedeen is a professor emeritus of safety analysis and a former director of the Center for Safety Research at the Royal Institute of Technology (KTH), Stockholm, Sweden. He holds a PhD in Mathematical Statistics. His research has been on the theory of point processes, applications to road traffic, and risk analyses of transportation, energy and infrastructure systems. He has been vice dean of the Faculty of Engineering Physics, a member of the research board of the Swedish Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) and a member of the editorial board of Transportation Research.

• Introduction: the Global Risk Arena, Technological Systems and This Book.- Reflections on Risks and Technology.- Risks in the Past and Present.- The Dangerous Steam Engine.- Risks and Safety in Building Structures.- Risks in the Conversion of Energy.- Chemical and Physical Health Risks – Chemicals, Radiation, and Noise.- Safety Factors and Exposure Limits.- How Dangerous Is It to Travel?.- IT – Risks and Security.- Vulnerability of Infrastructures.- Risk Management.- Risk Analysis.- Fire and Explosion.- The Human Factor?.- The Perception of Risks of Technology.- The Value of a Life.- Tacit Knowledge and Risks.- How to Worry in Moderation.

From the reviews: "It provides a balanced descriptive analysis, with chapters covering, among other topics, a history of technological risks; infrastructure systems, e.g., buildings and bridges; and risks associated with transportation systems, energy, chemicals, radiation, and information technology. ... it is a thoughtful, insightful reflection on risks, risk analysis, and management. Its breadth ensures that both beginners and specialists will be interested ... . Summing Up: Recommended. Upper-division undergraduates through professionals; general audiences." (S. A. Batterman, Choice, Vol. 47 (11), August, 2010)