Seen enough
complicated risk
management books?

Why not look for answers in unexpected places?

Build your mental model through examples of
exposure in everyday life

“Of course you will undeniably learn a lot by studying risk management publications as related to your technical area, and excel by practice. But in my experience, one good way to build mental models is to read outside the norm. When I read or listen to something new and different, I always think of how this new information could connect with information I already know, or my technical expertise. With my involvement in Quality Risk Management, I have developed a habit of wearing ‘risk spectacles’ wherever I go and in whatever I do. Looking through such spectacles on the things that we typically consider as outside our technical areas, reveals a deeper level of understanding about the issues around the risk management. I often look for answers in unexpected places.“

Although risk assessment is carried out by defining the risk question first and identifying the hazards, their likelihood of occurrence and severity and finally defining control measures either to detect, prevent or mitigate the risk, a backward thinking for already designed and implemented risk treatments can be effectively used to better understand how quality risk management works. In the EPELA authentic e-learning course on pharmaceutical cold chain management, participants practice risk assessments using preliminary risk assessment (PRA) tool with various risk questions as well as watching a video to spot the control measures in place and think backwards to identify their nature (detection, prevention or mitigation) of the measure and the hazard they respond to. This helps participants to better define hazards in forthcoming tasks.

Test your risk thinking

Download the book

Quality risk management mental modelling

Examples of exposure in everyday life

16 MB
Open only with ePUB3 readers
ISBN 978-2-9701065-6-2

6 MB
(16.5 x 24 cm, 210 pages)
ISBN 978-2-9701065-5-5

“One of the best things in visiting a favorite place with someone who has never been there is having them point out things that you have never seen or forgotten about. The new visitor calls to your attention little details hidden in a shadow or something so obvious that you have unconsciously ignored it.

In this book, Quality Risk Management Mental Modeling: Examples of Exposure in Everyday Life, Dr. Umit Kartoglu provides that set of new eyes to help us identify hazards, hazardous situations, and ways that risks can be lessened. He invites us to take a different, fresh perspective as we look at a wide range of routine situations that we encounter daily. As we do this, we are constructing for ourselves a mental model of risk and factors that affect risk. While mental models are important in helping us comprehend complex situations, if we don't have a correct model or one that is limited, our understanding can be deficient. Dr. Kartoglu’s wide range of examples helps us develop a rich, robust mental model that can assist us when we think about risk and how it can be reduced.”

“In this excellent book, Dr. Kartoglu recognises the difficulties and problems in risk assessing and managing complex processes such as pharmaceutical supply chain management. While the application of quality risk management principles to supply chain control has been the subject of much work in recent years, the focus Dr. Kartoglu gives in this work to understanding the cognitive processes that relate to risk assessment, and that relate to how hazards and risks are perceived, render this work an important new approach in this area. He teaches readers how to actually think about hazards, not only in terms of their relationship with harm and risk, but also in terms of how human behaviour and cognitive processes can influence one's perception of those hazards, and the risks they may present. This is a very welcome development in this field, and it has definite relevance to the application of quality risk management principles in efforts to secure the supply chain of vaccines and other important medicines.”

Kevin O’Donnell
Market Compliance Manager, Health Products Regulatory Authority, Ireland

“Pablo Neruda wrote that “The books that help you most are those which make you think the most.” This innovative book will make you think, albeit never in a ponderous or heavy way. Through the engaging thinking stimulated by the images and words in this creative volume, your mental model of risk management and related topics will be improved and strengthened.”

Thomas Reeves
Professor Emeritus, Learning, Design and Technology, The University of Georgia, USA

“This book provides an engaging and practical way to apply risk assessment and risk management techniques to a variety of situations. The use of everyday examples gives the reader the opportunity to practice the techniques in real life, and also discusses specific applications for medicinal products.”

Richard Johnson
President and CEO, Parenteral Drug Association, USA

Introduction and
overview