Risk as a concept is well established in modern Performance-Based Design in Fire Safety Engineering. However, it comes in many flavours - from a simple calculation of consequences vs probability, through indexing methods and using some arbitrary measures (number of fatalities, cost of damage etc.). Most of these methods focus on the value or threshold of the risk... while my today's guests seem to focus much more on the process itself.

Today I'm happy to host Dr Jaime Cadena Gomez (UQ, Transurban) and Dr David Lange from UQ, who will introduce us to the Maximum Allowable Damage risk assessment methodology. Two unique things about this approach are:
1) you calculate the inherent risk of your building, and start working towards solutions from this point, making the whole engineering process better aligned with delivery of a *true* safety, rather than compliance.
2) you focus on the process and not on the measure. This means you understand the building so much better, can include other parties and authorities in the process.

If you are a Fire Safety Engineer you should listen to this episode. Even if the method will not be useful for you, the discussion is definitely refreshing.

Connect to my guests:
Jaime Cadena on Linkedin
David Lange on Linkedin

A short introduction to Jaime's work:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_6YOBkS9Uds

Read more on the Maximum Allowable Damage methodology at:

•  Jaime's PhD thesis
• Cadena et al. Overcoming risk assessment limitations for potential fires in a multi-occupancy building
• Cadena et al. Uncertainty-based decision-making in fire safety: Analyzing the alternatives

Thank you to the SFPE for recognizing me with the 2025 SFPE Fire Safety Engineering Award! Huge thanks to YOU for being a part of this, and big thanks to the OFR for supporting me over the years.

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