News & Insights

BowTie Risk Assessment Methodology and BowTie XP Software Training

Locations and Dates

Course Pricing

Day One: $999 + taxes
Day One + Two: $1349 + taxes
Day Two: $999 + taxes

Turning ‘Theory’ into ‘Practice’

Dillon Consulting Limited has created a training program that will introduce you to the skills, tools and the methodologies essential to the successful planning and execution of risk assessments using the BowTie Methodology. Of particular focus will be the development of your own people management and interpersonal skills required to deliver performance at all levels. The course is driven by practical experience and your needs, giving you the opportunity to immediately apply your new understandings and skills within your organization.

Course Outcomes

  • Understand the fundamental principles of BowTie Methodology.
  • Learn how to apply the BowTie Methodology to conduct as risk assessment.
  • Learn how to facilitate a BowTie workshop.
  • Develop a basic understanding of the BowTie XP software.
  • Discuss how to use BowTie to present information and risks in a way to inform decision making.

Why You Should Attend

Organizations who embrace BowTie see the benefits as a risk management and governance methodology. It allows you to:

  • Visually Represent your Risks: BowTie analysis presents the risk management process in an easily understandable visual format. It allows stakeholders to easily understand the threats, consequences, and control measures of any system or process.
  • Have a Comprehensive Understanding of Risks: BowTie methodology allows a detailed understanding of risks, their causes, and potential impacts. It involves a thorough risk assessment that ensures that all significant risks have been identified and assessed.
  • Clearly Identify your Control Measures: By employing the BowTie methodology, companies can identify what control measures are currently in place and their effectiveness. They can also determine weak points or areas where control measures are lacking.
  • Enhance Decision-Making: With all risks identified, scored and ranked, it becomes easier for the decision-makers to prioritize risks that need immediate attention. They can thus allocate resources more effectively which leads to enhanced risk management.
  • Have Better Communication: BowTie diagrams provide a simple yet effective tool for communicating risk management strategies across the organization. They can be easily explained to all levels of employees, fostering a culture of risk awareness.
  • Continuously Improve the Management of your Risks: The BowTie approach allows for continuous improvement as the process facilitates the regular review of risks, control measures, and consequences when changes occur in the operational environment.
  • Increase your level of Due Diligence: BowTie methodology is globally recognized and accepted by safety organizations worldwide. Using it can ensure compliance with safety standards and requirements.
  • Be Proactive: Rather than being reactive and only addressing issues after they’ve occurred, BowTie methodology focuses on preventing incidents from happening in the first place, making it a proactive risk management approach.

What Will the Course Look Like?

Day One – BowTie Awareness

  • Introduction and overview of BowTie
    • History of BowTie
    • Quantitative versus qualitative approach using BowTie
    • Visualization of risk scenarios
    • Risk-informed decision making
    • Incident registration and analysis
    • Risk control monitoring and auditing
    • Safety management assurance
  • Goals and application of BowTie
    • Alignment with ISO 31000
    • Overview of the 8 elements of BowTie
  • BowTie elements
    • What is a hazard?
    • Define your top event – what can go wrong.
    • Threats – identify root causes of the top events
    • Consequences – identify the outcomes of the top events
    • Determine the risk control measures to prevent the threats and respond to the consequences
    • Identify escalating factors that could undermine risk control effectiveness and how to mitigate them.
  • Hands-on exercise – use the BowTie XP software to sketch a BowTie
  • Review approaches to utilize BowTie as a versatile tool
    • Define the adequacy of your risk control measures
    • Define the reliability of your risk control measures
    • Categories of risk control measures – behaviour, socio-technical, passive active, continuous
    • Ranking risk control measures based on criticality and importance
    • Set up management structure for risk control
    • Assessing and evaluating the risks using BowTie
  • Overview of BowTie workshopping
  • Steps to workshop a BowTie

Day Two – Conduct a BowTie Workshop

  • Design a BowTie workshop
    • In-depth understanding on how to conduct a BowTie workshop
  • Hands on exercises 1 & 2 – roleplaying and conducting a BowTie workshop
    • Use real work situations
    • Feedback on each exercise

Your Instructor

Dave Poole, M.Sc., P.Eng., CRM, SCR
Dave has over 30 years of experience in the areas of risk management, environmental management, sustainability, strategic planning and policy development. His due diligence and risk management experience includes project-based risk assessment of large scale infrastructure projects, supply chain risk assessments of transporting dangerous goods in the US and Canada; development of risk assessment framework for marine-based oil spills in Canadian waters; contingent business interruption insurance claim support; environmental compliance audits of industrial complexes across Canada; and regulatory advisory support for industrial permit applications and contaminated site management.