Like NASA, drilling industry can use probabilistic risk assessments to identify potential points of failure

A probabilistic risk assessment (PRA) is used to model and quantify very unlikely but potentially high-risk events or failures. PRAs are commonly used in other industries, including nuclear and aerospace. At the 2016 IADC Advanced Rig Technology Conference in Galveston, Texas, David Kaplan, NASA’s Flight Equipment & Quality Division Chief, Safety & Mission Assurance Directorate, explained how the agency has used PRAs to measure risks related to the International Space Station. In this video from the conference on 13 September, Mr Kaplan discusses similarities between the drilling and aerospace industries and how PRAs can help both industries better understand causes of failures.