Learning
Student of the Year
Every year we award the Risktec Prize for Excellence in Risk and Safety Management to the student who has achieved the highest average mark over the course of the year. The 2022 winner is David McVeigh.
Accreditations and
memberships
Postgraduate qualifications
Our postgraduate qualifications in Risk and Safety Management are awarded by Liverpool John Moores University (LJMU).
They have been developed by practitioners for practitioners, and aim to develop your practical skills and knowledge. Our teachers are highly experienced, practising risk and safety management consultants working in the safety-critical, major hazard industries.
- Justify the use of risk assessment through illustration of its objectives and drivers
- Analyse and evaluate a broad range of practical risk management tools and techniques and demonstrate expertise in selected techniques
- Devise practical solutions for real-life risk management problems
- Develop a questioning and critical attitude to management of risks
- Display mastery of clear and effective communication of risk
- Have substantial opportunity to practise self-learning
Year 1 (60 credits)
Principles of Risk Managment
What you’ll study
- Drivers for risk management
- Definitions and terminology
- Elements of the risk management process
- Demonstration of ALARP
- Example tools, techniques and studies
- The HSE case (or safety case) and HSE management system
- Leadership, culture and behaviours
- Causes of major accidents
At the end of the module you will be able to:
- Deconstruct the risk management process into its constituent components
- Contrast key risk management terms such as “hazard”, “consequence” and “risk”
- Evaluate the various drivers which cause organisations to manage risk.
- Demonstrate expertise in academic referencing
Hazard Identification
What you’ll study
- Basic concepts
- Overview of hazard identification techniques
- Hazard identification through the project lifecycle
- Failure Modes and Effects Analysis (FMEA)
- Hazard and Operability (HAZOP) studies
- HAZID/checklist approach
- HAZID versus HAZOP
- Making recommendations
At the end of the module you will be able to:
- Assess the role of hazard identification in the risk management process
- Critically review the tools and techniques available to carry out effective hazard identification at each lifecycle stage
- Design a fit-for-purpose hazard identification study
Research Methods in Risk & Safety Management
What you’ll study
- Study skills review
- Introduction: why do research?
- Defining the research problem
- Literature search and review techniques
- Research methodologies including statistical techniques, questionnaires and interviewing
- Project analysis and design
- Ethics in research
- Project planning
- Time management
- Gantt charts
- Presentation skills
At the end of the module you will be able to:
- Communicate findings in an accepted format
- Assess previous research completed in a subject area
- Critically appraise research data and assimilate, integrate and discuss in a logical way
- Demonstrate compliance with appropriate ethical standards related to any research undertaken
- Produce an appropriate project description and specification
Risk Analysis
What you’ll study
- Identifying and recording hazards
- The risk assessment matrix
- Risk analysis and risk reduction through project or facility lifecycle
- Significance of environmental aspects; environmental risk assessment
- Human factors in design
- Health risk assessment (HRA)
- Security risk assessment
- Business and/or commercial risk assessment
- Quantitative risk assessment (QRA) techniques
- Safety Integrity Level (SIL) assessment
- Layers of Protection Analysis (LOPA)
- External hazards, good practice in risk analysis
At the end of the module you will be able to:
- Logically deduce the most appropriate risk assessment tool or technique to be used, depending on circumstances
- Apply certain risk assessment techniques
- Critically review example risk assessments and techniques
Health, Safety and Environmental (HSE) Management Systems
What you’ll study
- Definition of an HSE MS
- Elements of an HSE MS
- Guidance and legislation
- Implementation aspects
- Documenting and implementing the HSE MS
At the end of the module you will be able to:
- Discuss the key factors to be considered when developing an HSE MS
- Assess the role of HSE MSs in reducing the probability and consequences of major accidents
- Examine issues associated with the implementation of HSE MSs
Risk Reduction & ALARP
What you’ll study
- Risk management summary
- Hierarchy of risk reduction measures
- Risk reduction through the project lifecycle
- The ALARP concept
- Demonstrating ALARP
- Qualitative and semi-quantitative approaches
- Cost Benefit Analysis (CBA)
- Societal risk
At the end of the module you will be able to:
- Identify different options available for risk reduction
- Decide when risk reduction measures can best be used
- Describe the concepts of “tolerability of risk” and “As Low As Reasonably Practicable (ALARP)”
- Apply the ALARP concept and conduct an ALARP assessment to an appropriate level of detail
Year 2 (60 credits)
Bowtie Risk Management
What you’ll study
- Introduction to risk assessment and bowties
- The bowtie method
- Assuring barrier integrity
- Effectiveness and ALARP for bowties
- Benefits and practical uses of bowties
- Facilitating bowtie workshops
- Bowtie software tools
At the end of the module you will be able to:
- Analyse hazard scenarios by applying the bowtie method and designing a bowtie diagram
- Develop integrity assurance for bowtie barriers
- Devise risk acceptance criteria for hazards in bowties
Emergency Response & Crisis Management
What you’ll study
- Emergency management basics
- Emergency anticipation and assessment
- Emergency prevention and mitigation
- Emergency preparations – planning, organisation, training, documentation, mutual aid, drills & exercises, etc.
- Emergency response and recovery
- Crisis management overview
At the end of the module you will be able to:
- Define the requirements and importance of Emergency and Crisis Response Management
- Discuss aspects of integrated emergency management
- Generate appropriate emergency and crisis response documentation
Human Factors in Design & Operations
What you’ll study
- Introduction to Human Factors
- Human Factors integration (HFI)
- Human Factors support to the design lifecycle for high hazard industries
- Defining human error
- Human error and violations
- Human Reliability Analysis (HRA)
At the end of the module you will be able to:
- Analyse the role of HF in systems engineering in order to achieve safe and effective designs, systems and processes
- Evaluate the human characteristics which influence a user’s experience of the workplace environment to ensure it is comfortable, healthy, safe and effective (accounting for physical and psychological capabilities and limitations)
- Evaluate human error types (including violation) and their potential causes
- Appraise human reliability and performance using appropriate methods in order to develop measures to reduce the likelihood of human error
Hazard and Operability (HAZOP) Study
What you’ll study
- Introduction to risk assessment
- Basic engineering terminology
- Process safety incidents – lessons learned
- HAZOP: what, when, how, guidewords and parameters, nodding, teams, roles and responsibilities
- Recording methods, software, reporting and close-out
- Overview of the LOPA technique
- Major HAZOP studies, minor modification studies
- Common failings in HAZOPs, Limitations of HAZOPs
- Leading HAZOP teams
- Other forms of HAZOP: procedures, batch operations
At the end of the module you will be able to:
- Critically review the HAZOP technique and examples of output
- Analyse how the HAZOP technique can be applied at the different stages of a project’s lifecycle such as FEED, detailed design, revalidation and decommissioning
- Prepare for a HAZOP workshop, determine the skills and actions necessary to lead a HAZOP and how to generate a HAZOP report
Incident Investigation & Analysis
What you’ll study
- Introduction
- Immediate actions in the event of an accident
- Planning the investigation
- Collecting data
- Data organisation/analysis
- Corrective actions
- Concluding the analysis
At the end of the module you will be able to:
- Demonstrate a thorough grounding in the underlying theories behind accident cause analysis
- Apply the investigation and analysis process to determine the sequence of events and the causes of an incident
- Critically analyse published incident and accident reports including the recommendations
Safety/HSE Cases
What you’ll study
- Study skills review
- Introduction: why do research?
- Defining the research problem
- Literature search and review techniques
- Research methodologies including statistical techniques, questionnaires and interviewing
- Project analysis and design
- Ethics in research
- Project planning
- Time management
- Gantt charts
- Presentation skills
At the end of the module you will be able to:
- Critically review the reasons for having Safety Cases and the role of the Safety Case
- Justify the contents of a Safety Case
- Discuss the key factors to be considered when planning a Safety Case
Year 3 (60 credits)
Project
Applicants must be proficient in the use of English and have:
- A relevant undergraduate degree or equivalent qualification; or
- 5+ years’ relevant work experience, with some exposure to risk management tools and techniques; or
- A combination of qualifications and work experience which, in the opinion of the Programme Leader, will enable successful completion of the programme.
Our relationship with Liverpool John Moores University
Risktec has been validated to teach Risk & Safety Management at postgraduate level since 2009. Our partnership with Liverpool John Moores University (LJMU) enables us to offer a full range of postgraduate qualifications, from short, customised courses, right through to our flagship masters degree (MSc) programme. Our students are given access to LJMU’s e-library and useful guidance on a range of study skills including Academic Writing, Library Skills, Referencing and even complimentary access to 24 different Rosetta Stone language courses.
Master of Science (180 credits)
£17,350
Price is based on enrolment in October 2023 for the 3 year programme.
Flexible payment options
You may wish to enrol on the PgCert in the first instance and upgrade to the PgDip, then the MSc. This allows you to spread the cost of your studies. If you are paying for each year as you go, we also have the option to pay in instalments.
Example payment schedule - upgrade route
This is an example payment schedule based on our most popular option:
Year 1: enrol on PgCert
£6,530
Payment in full due August 2023.
Upon successful completion of 60 credits you have the option to claim your PgCert award.
Total price for PgCert = £6,530.
Year 2: upgrade to PgDip
£6,530
Payment in full due September 2024.
Upon successful completion of 120 credits you have the option to claim your PgDip award.
Total price for PgDip = £13,060.
Year 3: upgrade to MSc
£4,935
Payment in full due October 2025.
Total price for MSc = £17,995
Example payment schedule - upgrade route with instalments
This is an example payment schedule based on the option to pay by instalments:
Year 1: enrol on PgCert
Payment in 4 instalments of £1,680.
Payments due in August 2023, December 2023, March 2024, June 2024.
Upon successful completion of 60 credits you have the option to claim your PgCert award.
Total price for PgCert: £6,720
Year 2: upgrade to PgDip
Payment in 4 instalments of £1,680.
Payments due in September 2024, January 2025, April 2025, July 2025.
Upon successful completion of 120 credits you have the option to claim your PgDip award.
Total price for PgDip: £13,440
Year 3: upgrade to MSc
£4,935
There is no instalment plan for the final year.
Payment in full due November 2025.
Total price for MSc = £18,375
Prices include all fees but exclude VAT.
The student’s financial arrangement is with Risktec Solutions (not LJMU).
Future prices may vary according to LJMU fees and inflation.
How will you study?
Our distance learning MSc is delivered via our online learning environment, Risktec Online.
The programme is 100% online, meaning you can study from anywhere in the world at any time of day.
You will have access to student forums where you can interact with your fellow students.
Each module has a duration of 8 weeks and culminates with a formal written assessment. During each module there will be online activities, including assessments with fixed deadlines and virtual classrooms.
Support from the module teachers is available throughout the programme.
Who should attend?
Anyone seeking to implement practical risk management within major hazard industries, such as oil and gas, petrochemical, chemical, nuclear, transportation, mining and renewables.
FAQs
MSc module leader, Dave McDade, answers some of the most frequently asked questions in the video below
Postgraduate Programme October 2023
