Risk and security management research

Risk and security management is about identifying and evaluating risks to organisations and individuals and taking action to minimise those risks. It affects many areas, from social work and corporate reputation, to the work of the armed forces and emergency services.

Our risk and security management research helps organisations and individuals responsible for managing risk and responding to incidents to identify, understand and overcome risk and security challenges.

We aim to encourage people to think about alternative ways of dealing with risk and security challenges rather than following a standard response.

Our research covers the following topics

Crisis management
Risk management
Decision making
Sustainability
Terrorism
Cybercrime
Moral disengagement
Ethical leadership
Personal and organisational resilience

Methods

To conduct this research, we use methods such as failure mode affect analysis (FEMA), reliability block diagrams (RBD), fault tree analysis (FTA), grounded theory, ethnographic enquiry, simulation, observations and experiments.

Projects

How to float

We worked with the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) to establish what is now the globally recognised way to prevent drowning – turn on your back, float and relax. This research has informed internationally adopted life-saving techniques, treatments and technologies.
AI-ARC: Automatic Arctic Sea Vessel Anomaly Detection

We're working to improve maritime situational awareness, decision-making, communication, available rescue resources, and thus the safety and security of all EU maritime actors, particularly in the Arctic Sea.
ARCSAR (Arctic and North Atlantic Security and Emergency Preparedness Network)

We're addressing the Arctic and North-Atlantic (ANA) region to prepare to cope with security and safety threats that will result from increased commercial activity in the region.
Europe’s biggest ever disaster training exercise begins today

In March 2016, we were involved in Exercise Unified Response (EUR), a week-long, EU-funded simulation exercise led by the London Fire Brigade. We designed simulations, acted as independent observers and evaluators, and contributed to the final report. The outcomes of this exercise may influence how emergency services respond to major emergencies across the EU.
Hampshire Fire and Rescue course

We worked with Hampshire Fire and Rescue to develop a course that helps personnel make better decisions in scenarios that are difficult to replicate in a simulation environment.

What happened at Fukushima 10 years ago? BBC World Service

Our staff and research were featured on a BBC programme about Fukushima.

Watch now

Publication highlights

Analysis of noise and bias errors in intelligence information systems

Labib, Ashraf ; Chakhar, Salem ; Hope, Lorraine et al. / Analysis of noise and bias errors in intelligence information systems. In: Journal of the Association for Information Science and Technology. 2022 ; Vol. 73, No. 12. pp. 1755-1775.
Evidence-based models to support humanitarian operations and crisis management

Labib, Ashraf ; Abdi, M. Reza ; Hadleigh-Dunn, Sara et al. / Evidence-based models to support humanitarian operations and crisis management. In: Decision Making: Applications in Management and Engineering. 2022 ; Vol. 5, No. 1. pp. 113-134.
Learning and unlearning from disasters: an analysis of the Virginia Tech shooting and the Lion Air 610 Airline crash

Shmidt, Bianca ; Labib, Ashraf ; Hadleigh-Dunn, Sara. / Learning and unlearning from disasters: an analysis of the Virginia Tech shooting and the Lion Air 610 Airline crash. In: Journal of Surveillance, Security and Safety. 2020 ; Vol. 1. pp. 1-15.
Multi-criteria mapping and prioritization of Arctic and North Atlantic maritime safety and security needs

Jones, Dylan ; Labib, Ashraf ; Willis, Kevin Oliver et al. / Multi-criteria mapping and prioritization of Arctic and North Atlantic maritime safety and security needs. In: European Journal of Operational Research. 2022.
Operationalizing Learning from Rare Events

Labib, Ashraf ; Hadleigh-Dunn, Sara ; Mahfouz, A. et al. / Operationalising learning from rare events: framework for middle humanitarian operations managers. In: Production and Operations Management. 2019 ; Vol. 28, No. 9. pp. 2323-2337.
The application of unmanned aerial vehicles in managing port and border security in the US and Kuwait: Reflections on best practice for the UK

Al Abkal, Suwaid ; Talas, Risto Henrik Aleksander ; Shaw, Sarah et al. / The application of unmanned aerial vehicles in managing port and border security in the US and Kuwait: Reflections on best practice for the UK. In: International Journal of Maritime Crime and Security. 2020 ; Vol. 1, No. 1.
Towards a new approach for managing pandemics hybrid resilience and bowtie modelling

Labib, Ashraf. / Towards a new approach for managing pandemics hybrid resilience and bowtie modelling. In: Safety Science. 2021 ; Vol. 139.
Violence, abuse and the implications for mental health and wellbeing of security operatives in the United Kingdom: the invisible problem

Talas, Risto Henrik Aleksander ; Button, Mark ; Doyle, Mark et al. / Violence, abuse and the implications for mental health and wellbeing of security operatives in the United Kingdom: the invisible problem. In: Policing and Society. 2020