INTEREST GROUPS
Our Interest Groups comprise representatives from our member organisations. These groups hear from guest speakers, discuss topics of mutual interest, and share lessons, with the aim of turning their deliberations into high quality events imparting information and sharing insights which we report upon and make available on our website for the public benefit.
The groups are a vehicle for members to be part of important discussions on topical issues, as well as create positive change within their particular field. Members of the groups meet regularly to learn from different industries and how others respond to specific hazards. The aim is that members can find solutions to problems they may experience in their industry and pass on useful practices that can be implemented elsewhere.
Each of our three interest groups informs and educates by sharing the latest research tools, methods, solutions and best practice. The groups also provide a forum in which interdisciplinary practitioners and decision-makers can connect and interact.
IG-1 Chair, Megan Pearce
IG-2 Chair Richard Roff
IG-3 Chair Marc McBride
Interest Group 1
Group focus: Natural Hazards
This group focuses on natural hazards and disasters, such as those that would occur in nature without any human
influence (e.g. flooding, earthquake, lightning etc.) as well as those influenced or induced by human activity (e.g. climate change, pandemic etc.)
Interest Group 2
Group focus: Engineered System Hazards
This group focuses on hazards arising from failures of engineered equipment, constructions, products and processes (or systems of these, or in the control of these), which could lead to catastrophic incidents resulting in significant injuries to people, significant damage to the environment, or large financial loss.
Interest Group 3
Group focus: Emerging and Future Technology
This group focuses on new technologies and risks that arise, or are inherent to these technologies, in order to enable a robust and resilient society (e.g. digitalisation, automation and AI, new energy, new materials and advanced manufacturing).
IG-1 Annual Topic Planner 2025
February – Cascading and Interconnecting hazards
April – Natural Hazards and Society
June – Hazards Beyond Our Borders
July – Response and management of hazards: practical lessons and knowledge sharing from different sectors
September – Quantifying Natural Hazards: novel and emerging techniques
November – A Year in Natural Hazards – show / tell case studies
IG-1 Annual Topic Planner 2024
February – Cold snaps and winter conditions
April – Early warning and emergency response arrangements
June – Digital twins and hazard visualisation tools (combined with the new tech group)
August – Drought
October – Cascading / interconnected hazards and impacts
December – Pluvial / surface water flooding
IG-2 Annual Topic Planner 2025
February – Engineering judgement. Available guidance?
April – Joint IG2/3 Call: Future fuels for aviation – with Cranfield University
June – CROSS – What it is and some key recent lessons shared (Comparison with IChemE safety Centre info and Loss Prevention Bulletin (LPB))
July – Tensions between structural safety / resilience / longevity and carbon reduction
October – Design for wellbeing – what are the concepts, how are they applied, examples of success
December – Horizon scanning plus subject tbc
IG-2 Annual Topic Planner 2024
February – Building safety regulator
April – Legacy / ageing infrastructure risks (known and emerging)
June – Cross-sector discussions on energy transition
August – TBC
October – Learning lessons across organisations and sectors
December – TBC
IG-3 Annual Topic Planner 2025
February – Use of hydrogen as an aviation fuel
March – Virtual and augmented reality
June – Net zero technologies
July – New materials or bioengineering
October – Horizon-scanning and work planning for 2026
December – Adoption of new technologies in nuclear
IG-3 Annual Topic Planner 2024
February – Data and information
March – Artificial intelligence and cyber security
June – Robotics and autonomous systems
July – Technology management and digital safety in railways
October – Nuclear fusion
December – Regulation of AI in the nuclear industry
