The Institution of Structural Engineers The Institution of Structural Engineers
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Risk management training

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This interactive workshop equips structural engineers with the knowledge and tools to assess and manage building safety risks in line with the Building Safety Act and IStructE guidance.

Course published: January 2026

Through practical methods and case-based discussion, delegates will learn to navigate uncertainty, apply structured risk analysis techniques, and exercise sound professional judgement. The course promotes a proportionate, defensible approach to safety, balancing technical rigour with real-world constraints.  

The one-day course has a maximum capacity of 15 attendees per session to facilitate interactive small group working.  

Learning objectives

By attending this course, you should be able to: 

  • List the principles of risk management as set out in IS0 31000. 

  • Explain the principles and language of risk as set out in the Building Safety Act, HSE guidance and IStructE guidance, including risk definition hazard identification, likelihood, consequence, mitigation and tolerability of risk.

  • Apply structured methods (e.g., HAZID workshops, qualitative risk matrices, bow-tie analysis) to identify credible failure scenarios, evaluate barriers and consider residual risks. 

  • Understand the limitations of structured methods. 

  • Recognise the sources of uncertainty in existing buildings such as missing records, material deterioration, design evolution and past interventions and understand how these influence confidence in assessment outcomes.

  • Adopt a proportionate and defensible approach to managing building safety risk, consistent with the “all reasonable steps” and ALARP/SFAIRP principles.

  • Exercise professional judgement under uncertainty, including how to decide when information is “good enough”, when to investigate further and how to justify conclusions.

  • Evaluate what ‘acceptable’ looks like in practice, balancing safety, practicality and proportionality. Understand your role in relation to the client. 

Testimonials

Hear from delegates who recently attended this course.

"I found the course very useful, especially in the context of my recent risk assessment for an HRB. Prior to the course, I thought this was just a 'tick box' exercise to have in the report, but once the course finished, I realised more detail/thought needs to go into the risk assessment and it is fundamental in getting sign off from the BSR. Breaking down the elements of risk and hazard identification was useful and presenting them in a more pictorial way (bow tie method) is much better and relatable than a risk matrix with numbers in it."

"The course was more interesting and thought provoking than I was expecting. At the end of the day, I felt more confident in how to identify and mitigate risks in our design work."

- Attendees from Price & Myers, 2026

Course tutor

Emily Harbottle

Founder and CEO, Cascade-Risk

As a former military helicopter pilot and aviation risk specialist, Emily brings fresh perspectives on risk management to the built environment. With experience spanning civil aviation, defence, nuclear and maritime sectors, she focuses on adapting effective risk management approaches across industries. Now developing an innovative building safety case solution, Emily serves on the IMechE ALARP working group and advises IStructE on building safety guidance aligned with BSA22 requirements.

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