Advanced information and communications technologies in regional safety management

Abstract

The complex interactions and the increasing extent of human activities motivate safety planners to switch the focus from the source–oriented safety management approach to regional sustainable development. Traditional safety management is oriented toward technological systems, whereas sustainable management is approached from a regional perspective. Consequently, safety issues in sustainable management can be addressed in the context of regional safety management at three levels: macro (policy level), meso (organisational level), and micro (operational level). The management process, at all three levels, can be divided into two phases: analysis and decision–making. In addition to this switch in paradigm, advanced information and communications technologies have a major impact on management practice, at all three levels, both for analysis and decision–making. The purpose of this paper is to address the potential impact of new information and communications technologies on regional safety management, and the necessary ramifications for organisations and institutions to benefit in an optimal way from these imminent changes. The paper ends with a research agenda referring to development issues and implementations at the macro, meso, and micro level.