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Sandia National Laboratories has developed RAMPART™ risk-assessment
technology and incorporated it into a tool called RAMPART™—GSA. This
risk-based decision support tool for the U.S. General Services Administration
is a screening-level tool that assesses risk for the GSA’s buildings due
to eight natural and man-made hazards.
In the wake of recent catastrophic events, e.g., the outbreak
of foot and mouth in the United Kingdom, it is appropriate to design and
build software tools that allow the use of agricultural risk assessment
by a broader community that specifically includes non-risk-analysts.
Sandia National Laboratories and New Mexico State University propose to
implement a biological risk assessment tool suitable for use by dairy owners
or managers. The proposed Biosafety Risk Assessment Tool (BRAT) will
be based on patented RAMPART™ risk assessment technology. BRAT will
have several versions that analyze the risk for several branches of the
Agricultural industry. Currently a prototype for BRAT — Dairies is
under construction. The questions for the prototype BRAT—Dairies
tool were generated using the publication from the Bovine Alliance on Management
and Nutrition (BAMN), which published a brief description of the application
of risk assessment, risk management, and risk communication to dairies.
The BRAT will require only that the user be familiar with the operation
to be assessed. No risk analysis expertise will be required.
The tool will assess both naturally occurring risks, e.g., severe weather
conditions, and risks that arise from current known levels of cattle infection
and physical sabotage. Results will rate the risk of a number of
types of loss, e.g., loss of milk production, as high, medium, or low.
The tool will also analyze why a specific operational risk is high and
suggest mitigative measures. In the future, the Biosafety Risk Assessment
Tool will be used for different types of agricultural elements, e.g., crops.
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