| Unit name | Systems Risk Management |
|---|---|
| Unit code | CENGM0087 |
| Credit points | 20 |
| Level of study | M/7 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 2 (weeks 13 - 24) |
| Unit director | Dr. May |
| Open unit status | Not open |
| Units you must take before you take this one (pre-requisite units) |
None |
| Units you must take alongside this one (co-requisite units) |
None |
| Units you may not take alongside this one |
None |
| School/department | School of Civil, Aerospace and Design Engineering |
| Faculty | Faculty of Engineering |
Why is this unit important?
When risks from systems failure are significant, the design and operation/use of complex technology must be managed using specialised processes and methods. The people, models and technology form a socio-technical system, which is larger and more complex than the engineered technology alone, and the challenges in controlling such systems can be seen in disasters e.g. at Tesla, Boeing, Air France/Airbus, Grenfell Tower, Deepwater Horizon, Chernobyl, Fukushima. These challenges arise because standard engineering and management address normal design and operation well, but management of risks in these systems presents exotic and esoteric problems, some of which remain unsolved. Finding solutions is of major importance as society starts to hand over more responsibility to automation and, as it does so, the consequences of systems failure become much greater. At the same time, systems are becoming increasingly complex and so they are harder to design and test, spawning new and fascinating research topics with Bristol working at the forefront, for example, in nuclear protection systems and autonomous system technologies.
How does this unit fit into your programme of study
The methods covered in this unit are applicable across industry sectors and other subjects taught in the Engineering with Management MSc programme. They are especially relevant to critical systems.
Overview of content
This unit studies risk, the importance and role of risk analyses in engineering systems design and management, and methods to perform risk analyses in these contexts.
How will students, personally, be different as a result of the unit
Students will be able to employ the principles and analysis of risk/risk reduction in system design and management, including an introduction to some cutting edge research-led industry-focused methods currently being developed at Bristol.
Learning Outcomes
At the end of the unit a successful student will be able to:
The core material on the unit is delivered using a mixture of traditional lectures and a flipped approach with directed self-learning from a course text or online content followed by discussion seminar/ presentation/ problem classes. These activities reinforce the core material through applying the ideas, through formative reflection on their use in practise, and through participation in group discussion and presentations. The topics are industry-focused, starting with standard methods and moving to newer research-led techniques, and hence lectures will include guest speakers with leaders in their field from academe, industry and regulation.
Tasks which help you learn and prepare you for summative tasks (formative):
Formative learning will be through tasks such as discussion seminar/presentation/problem classes with in-session feedback. These tasks will reinforce the core material and provide opportunities for feedback from both academics and peers. Representative examples include discussion of research papers; safety argumentation built and presented in groups; problem classes undertaken individually; regulator-licensee role-play. These activities enhance and reinforce the traditionally lectured material, encouraging reflection, discussion and application.
Tasks which count towards your unit mark (summative):
Summative assessment is by 100% exam at the end of the unit (all ILOs).
When assessment does not go to plan
Re-assessment will either be a resit exam or set coursework exercise which demonstrates the unit learning outcomes. There is no summative group work.
If this unit has a Resource List, you will normally find a link to it in the Blackboard area for the unit. Sometimes there will be a separate link for each weekly topic.
If you are unable to access a list through Blackboard, you can also find it via the Resource Lists homepage. Search for the list by the unit name or code (e.g. CENGM0087).
How much time the unit requires
Each credit equates to 10 hours of total student input. For example a 20 credit unit will take you 200 hours
of study to complete. Your total learning time is made up of contact time, directed learning tasks,
independent learning and assessment activity.
See the University Workload statement relating to this unit for more information.
Assessment
The Board of Examiners will consider all cases where students have failed or not completed the assessments required for credit.
The Board considers each student's outcomes across all the units which contribute to each year's programme of study. For appropriate assessments, if you have self-certificated your absence, you will normally be required to complete it the next time it runs (for assessments at the end of TB1 and TB2 this is usually in the next re-assessment period).
The Board of Examiners will take into account any exceptional circumstances and operates
within the Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes.
