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Motivation: Current practices in risk assessment and management for industrial systems are characterized by its methodical diversity and fragmented approaches. In retrospect these risk and safety paradigms resulted from diverse industries driven and limited by available knowledge and technologies. A change based on industry driven R&D work is needed.

At present the European Industry recognised their obligation to reconsider risk and safety policies, having a more competitive industry and more risk informed and innovation accepting society in vision. Therefore the large collaborative project IRIS is proposed to identify, quantify and mitigate existing and emerging risks to create societal cost-benefits, to increase industrial safety and to reduce impact on human health and environment.

Project Outline: The project is led and driven by industry to consolidate and generate knowledge and technologies which enable the integration of new safety concepts related to technical, human, organizational and cultural aspects. The partnership represents over 1 million workers.

The proposed project integrates all aspects of industrial safety with some priority on saving human lives prior cost reductions and is particular underpinning relevant EU policies.

Basic Concept: In short the concept of IRIS is to focus on diverse industrial sector’s main safety problems as well as to transform its specific requirements into integrated and knowledge-based safety technologies, standards and services. The expected Impact by 2020 is given in the figure below.

The project covers a broad range of industrial sectors and involves main stakeholders. Furthermore significant demonstration elements, training activities and technology transfer, also on international level, create a leverage effect for the acceptance in industry and society.

The Partnership (> 1 million workers) has been selected out on the principles: complementarities, non competition and commitment to the subject of industrial safety. The top management is committed to take a big step towards considerably improved safety performance in the European Industry.

• Integrated Methodologies for pioneering Risk Assessment and Management

A major enhancement in risk management is the integration of multiple risk assessment methods. The objective is a continuous risk assessment based on a combination of probabilistic (state-of-the-art) and measurement-based risk analysis.

Expected Results: An integrated online monitoring system that combines the new paradigm integrating operation with risk management . Impact:20%less down time of production

• New Knowledge-based Safety Concepts

A general achievement of IRIS is to enable progressive continuous improvement through refinement of the risk identification, assessment and control processes due to building on knowledge already gained.

Expected Results: Realization of a new knowledge based safety concept. Impact:accidents-50%

• Total Safety of Industrial Systems and Networks

Such systems are based on integrated technical solutions through new models for industrial systems that take into account interdependencies during design and operation. They bring significant progress towards accident free networked production also in the increasing complexity of value-chain based production activities.

Expected Results: Accident free networked production reducing the number of fatal accidents in Europe by 1/3 with potential on more reduction in future. Impact: Fatalities -33% (-1600 deaths)

• Knowledge and Technologies for Risk Identification and Reduction

Innovative Risk identification and reduction has to consider the reassessment of exposure and vulnerability of environment, society, industry to the impact of natural, technological and man-made hazards. The implementation needs to provide the detection and early warnings of risk potentials before they become critical and whilst avoiding actions can be executed.

Expected Results: Risk identification and mitigation tools fit for everyday practice.

Impact: 50%less accidents .

• Online Monitoring with Decision Support Systems

The realisation of former mentioned objective requires hardware and software for continuous risk assessment by online monitoring of the interactions in the industrial systems during their life cycle. S&T achievements are the development of decision support systems (knowledge-based system, self learning and artificial intelligence) for the evaluation of colleted data as well as sensors, data management and a required cyber infrastructure.

Expected Results: Embedded online risk monitoring systems for all industries

Impact: -20% down times, no loss of basic supply of power

• Pattern Recognition in Signal Processing

Detection of hidden attributes characterising evolving damages in materials and systems is the challenge. A general approach to detect unfinished forms of patterns will be developed as basis for decision making and early warning. This includes treatment of contaminated data and algorithms.

Expected Results: Basic tools for damage detection as basis for early warning

Impact: Reduced maintenance costs at equal safety level (-15%)

• Demonstration & Technology Transfer, Standardization & Training Activities

Expected Results: Wide spread technology demonstration, technology transfer, underpinning standardization and training activities are critical for broad application and guaranteed by the consortium represented by industry, main international and European stakeholders, specialized SMEs, research institutions and universities.