The Analysis, Evaluation and Risk Management Laboratory (LabRisco) of the Naval Architecture and Ocean Engineering Department at the University of São Paulo (PNV-USP) was developed with the support of the Navy’s Technological Center in São Paulo (CTMSP) through a project proposed by FUSP (Foundation for the Support of University of São Paulo), FINEP (Financier of Studies and Projects) and financed with resources from Petrobras (Petroleo Brasileiro SA).
Laboratory purposes are: to perform analysis and assessment of risks associated with the operation of complex systems and / or critical systems; to develop models and procedures to the analysis, evaluation and risk management; to design and implement a set of databases of accidents, incidents, systems, equipment, operating procedures, causes and consequences of risk events; and to disseminate knowledge and risk assessment culture.
The laboratory implementation phase, lasting two years, began in December 2005 and its consolidation was done by analyzing actual cases of ships in the fleet of Transpetro (Petrobras Transporte SA). At this stage, the work was carried out by professors of Naval Architecture and Ocean Engineering Department at USP and researchers from the Navy Technological Center in São Paulo, as well as undergraduate students and graduate.
After the laboratory consolidation phase, several projects were developed with funds from national agencies of research support (FAPESP – Foundation for Research Support of the State of São Paulo, CNPq – National Council for Scientific and Technological Development, CAPES – Coordination of Higher Education Personnel Formation), regulators (ANP – National Agency of Petroleum), Navy of Brazil (MB) and industrial companies, such as Petrobras, Transpetro, REPSOL and VALE. Among others, the projects include: reliability studies of onboard systems and floating production and storage systems; Preliminary study of risk in CNG ships; Analysis of the contribution of the human factor in the operation of complex systems; multi-objective optimization applied to the preliminary design of tankers ships as merit considering the total project cost and the risk of oil leakage into the sea; risk analysis associated with loading and unloading operations of LNG terminals in onshore and offshore; development of risk management model for the docking process oil tankers and risk analysis associated with the offloading operation of a production unit FPSO. These projects resulted in a large number of publications in national and international conferences and journals of great recognition by the scientific community as well as a significant number of dissertations and doctoral theses.
Currently, LabRisco has a physical and computational infrastructure quite differentiated providing its researchers the suitable conditions for the development of their research projects. The LabRisco project released initially in 2005, an area of approximately 120 m2 to accommodate up to 15 researchers with individual workstations with air conditioning system, appropriate furniture and access control system, a central data processing, warehouse and administrative support personnel. The laboratory also provides a web portal that allows the registered users remote access to your files and software.
Recently, in 2014, the LabRisco expanded its facilities with the financial support of a new FINEP project, providing an additional area for accommodation of new researchers with 6 new workstations and a new meeting room.
