Title: Integration of STPA and TOPSIS fuzzy methods for risk analysis in aerospace projects

Authors: Sarah Francisca de Souza Borges; Mischel Carmen Neyra Belderrain; Moacyr Machado Cardoso Junior; Diogo Silva Castilho

Addresses: Department of Science and Space Technologies, Aeronautics Institute of Technology, Square Marechal Eduardo Gomes 50, 12228-900, Vila das Acacias, São José dos Campos, Brazil ' Department of Science and Space Technologies, Aeronautics Institute of Technology, Square Marechal Eduardo Gomes 50, 12228-900, Vila das Acacias, São José dos Campos, Brazil ' Department of Science and Space Technologies, Aeronautics Institute of Technology, Square Marechal Eduardo Gomes 50, 12228-900, Vila das Acacias, São José dos Campos, Brazil ' Flight Test and Research Institute, Square Marechal Eduardo Gomes 50, 12228-900, Vila das Acacias, São José dos Campos, Brazil

Abstract: There are several types of risks in organisations and projects, including technological, financial, environmental, legal, and operational. This article focuses on a risk analysis framework for complex aerospace research projects, some of which are innovations in the area and do not have a history of data from previous activities. The objective of this study is to analyse the feasibility of integrating the systems theoretic process analysis (STPA) method for systemic assessment of safety and fuzzy technique for order preference by similarity to ideal solution (TOPSIS) for prioritising unsafe control actions (UCAs). The proposed integration method was applied to the Laboratory of Injection Systems for Liquid Propellants at the Aeronautics Institute of Technology (ITA). The results obtained were the need for an emergency response plan, signalling, access control, and safety training for laboratory technicians. Therefore, risk analysis is essential to support the decision-making process, to identify and reduce hazards and losses.

Keywords: aerospace engineering; decision analysis; risk analysis; safety; project management; STPA; topsis fuzzy.

DOI: 10.1504/IJDSRM.2022.125013

International Journal of Decision Sciences, Risk and Management, 2022 Vol.10 No.3/4, pp.212 - 226

Received: 25 Apr 2021
Accepted: 27 Dec 2021
Published online: 22 Aug 2022 *