Safety Management and Risk Assessment for Advancing Sustainability

Dear Colleagues,

(1) Overview of the Special Issue

1. Research Focus

This Special Issue centers on the critical intersection of safety management, risk assessment, and sustainability. It explores how safety practices can evolve to meet sustainability demands while addressing growing risks associated with urbanization, industrial activities, and environmental hazards. Emphasis is placed on the transition from reactive risk control to proactive, predictive, and resilient safety strategies—including AI-driven risk prediction, dynamic risk assessment, and systemic safety frameworks. The Special Issue also highlights the integration of safety with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), covering occupational health, environmental protection, community resilience, and infrastructure safety.

2. Scope

The scope encompasses a wide array of themes across multiple sectors and settings:

• Methodologies & Tools: Advanced risk assessment methods (quantitative, probabilistic, dynamic), AI/machine learning for predictive analytics, digital twins, and real-time monitoring systems.
• Application Domains: High-risk industries (chemical, process, construction, energy), urban infrastructure, transportation, workplace and community safety.
• Emerging Challenges: Multi-hazard coupling and complex disaster scenarios, safety of renewable energy systems and new technologies (e.g., battery storage, hydrogen).
• Management & Policy: Safety culture, emergency response, disaster risk reduction, and the design of sustainable safety frameworks and policies.

3. Purpose

The purposeof this Special Issue is to advance the scientific understanding and practical application of sustainable safety management. By fostering multidisciplinary dialogue among safety engineers, risk analysts, urban planners, and policymakers, this Special Issue aims to build safer, more resilient, and resource-efficient communities worldwide. It seeks to bridge the gap between cutting-edge research and actionable strategies for hazard monitoring, prediction, control, and long-term hazard prevention.

(2) Relationship to the Existing Literature

This Special Issue meaningfully complements and extends the existing literature in several ways:

While significant research exists on risk assessment and safety management separately—and several prior Sustainability Special Issues have addressed specific facets such as “Sustainable Risk and Safety Management of Complex Industrial Systems”, “Engineering Safety Prevention and Sustainable Risk Management”, and “Achieving Sustainability in Safety Management and Design for Safety”—a comprehensive, integrative platform that explicitly bridges proactive risk intelligence with long-term sustainability outcomes across diverse sectors remains underexplored.

This Special Issue advances the field by: (1) synthesizing fragmented efforts on AI-enabled risk assessment into cohesive frameworks; (2) extending traditional occupational safety into holistic community and infrastructure resilience; (3) addressing emerging risks from renewable energy transitions and circular economy practices; and (4) translating safety science into actionable policy and design guidelines aligned with the SDGs. In doing so, it moves beyond isolated technical contributions toward a systems-oriented approach that integrates environmental stewardship, social responsibility, and economic viability within safety management.

Prof. Dr. Jizu Li
Dr. Yue Yu
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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