A what-if analysis is a brainstorming activity that can be used to determine things that can go wrong in central scenarios. After determining what could happen negatively, the consequences are judged thereafter. A What-if analysis can be used for any type of potential disaster. For the sake of this article, we will discuss how this analysis can be applied to a fire safety plan.

Based on the answers obtained from the hypothetical-style questions, informed judgments can be made about the risks associated with moving forward with a particular activity. Any risk that has been deemed acceptable may have a course of action outlined on ways to prevent the potential disaster from occurring. When it comes to fire safety, it’s vital to remember that prevention is key.

Steps for performing a what-if analysis

When conducting a what-if analysis, the first thing that should happen is selecting a leader. Once a leader is selected, they will be responsible for guiding their team through the steps of the analysis. The leader must use detailed diagrams and operating guidelines that the rest of the team can carry with them. It is also important to distribute guidelines that determine acceptable security levels.

Once the leader is assigned, it’s time to get down to business. The team should then begin generating various hypothetical questions about the topic at hand, in this case, fire safety. When developing hypothetical questions, which will then need to be tested to determine whether or not they are realistic, there are a few things to consider.

Human error: Human error is the first thing to think about when performing a what-if analysis. Many dangerous situations occur due to simple human error. Make some of your questions focused on this point.

· Equipment failure: Equipment failure is another reason a fire could occur. Consider the different types of equipment used in your facility when performing a what-if analysis.

· Deviations from the expected parameters: any deviation from a critical parameter can make the difference between the start of a fire and its prevention.

Assess and assess all potential risks

Once the team has generated all the hypothetical questions, the next step is to review them. The team must collect all the questions and determine if there are possible sources of error. They must then decide at this point what the probability is that each error will occur. Once the probability has been determined, the consequences must also be accessed. The consequences of something dangerous happening make it extremely important to do one of these tests.

Develop Solutions and Recommendations

Different measures must be taken if a risk is considered to be acceptable or unacceptable. While performing your analysis, if the team deems the risk to be unacceptable, corrective action will be required. At this point all recommendations are recorded.

If the risk is judged to be acceptable, but the probability is low and the consequences are not life-threatening, the team may choose to mark this scenario as a response with no recommendation. Remember that time is precious when dealing with a dangerous situation, such as a fire. Therefore, if the steps to correct the problem will be time consuming and costly, this is generally considered an unacceptable method of correcting the problem.

Summarize and prioritize what-if analysis

After developing recommendations for the hypothetical questions that are considered acceptable, the next step is to summarize and prioritize the information that has been collected. The summary should be prioritized based on the probability that the hypothetical analysis will actually occur. For example, a fire started by a furnace explosion would be prioritized over a fire started by a lighter igniting a sheet of paper. The furnace fire would spread faster… causing greater danger than the other scenario.

Assign a call to action

Assigning a call to action is the final step in performing a what-if analysis. At this point, all of the likely scenarios should have a solution to them if they were to occur. To assign a call to action to help prevent these issues from occurring, you may want to consider adding an additional column to your current what-if analysis you’ve built. List a person or group of people to be assigned to ensure that corrective action is taken so that a fire hazard does not occur.

The benefits of using a what-if analysis

It is important to protect the building you operate and the people who reside in it. What-if analyzes allow you to see things from another perspective and take appropriate action to protect your facility in the event of an adverse event. This type of analysis is easy to use and no specialized tools are required to do it.

To participate in creating a what-if analysis, you do not need to have experience performing hazard analysis. This makes this form of analysis attractive. Anyone can participate in a team that does this type of analysis and understand how to be insightful. Doing one of these types of analyzes gets people to think outside the box and consider various scenarios that could occur, yet we barely consider them until they happen.

Are there limitations to the hypothetical analysis?

Any form of analysis has its limitations. This kind of way of analyzing hazards is only useful when asking the right questions. The success of creating an impactful what-if analysis will depend solely on the input of the team members who are involved in the task. That is why it is important to establish with a team of sophisticated people to develop this type of list.

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