“Risk Switzerland” national risk analysis

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22.06.11 - Which hazards are relevant for Switzerland? What is their significance? And what is the relationship of the hazards to one another? The comprehensive national hazard analysis “Risks Switzerland” gives the answers.

In December 2008, the Federal Council decided to have a national hazard analysis, “Risks Switzerland”, drawn up. It commissioned the Federal Office for Civil Protection (FOCP) to coordinate this work.

Risks Switzerland analyses the relevant hazards for the Swiss population and their livelihoods. The results should be made available as a unified basis for all interested parties to carry out their own further work. An overall representation also enables the interrelations between individual hazards and cascade effects to be examined, something that is of increasing significance in an integrated society. Risks Switzerland is made up of three work stages and the corresponding results:

• Drawing up a comprehensive, modifiable catalogue of hazards.
• Preparing unified hazard files for all relevant hazards.
• Analysing, assessing and comparing the relevant hazards for Switzerland with regard to their effects and the probability of occurrence.

Ernst Basler + Partner supported the project team of the Federal Office for Civil Protection and contributed both to the content and the methodology during the first phase of Risks Switzerland between 2008 and 2010. The emphasis here was on

• the development of the catalogue of hazards, which currently contains around 120 hazards, and research into the associated reference events in Switzerland and abroad,
• the production of over 20 hazard files in the areas of natural, technical and social hazards (e.g. storms, road traffic accidents involving hazardous substances, pandemics), and
• the development of methodical principles for analysing the specific risks and hazards and for a subsequent comparative national hazard analysis.

EBP is also supporting the FOCP in Phase II of Risks Switzerland, which will last from 2011 to 2013.