bow-tie-analysis is a human-made risk assessment methodology that visualizes accident pathways in a bow-tie diagram. It is carved by: (1) a central top-event representing the hazard state, (2) causal pathways on the left branching from potential initiating causes to the top event, (3) consequence pathways on the right branching from the top event to final outcomes, and (4) barriers mapped on both sides — preventive barriers on the left between causes and the top event, and mitigative barriers on the right between the top event and consequences. The persistence mechanism is documentation within safety management systems, regulated by industry standards (e.g., ISO 31000, OSHA process safety guidelines) and maintained through formal safety review cycles. [formal: la | substrate: mind | horizon: a life | explicit: yes | epoch: 0.01]
Accepted ontology entry
bow-tie-analysis
bow-tie-analysis is a human-made risk assessment methodology that visualizes accident pathways in a bow-tie diagram. It is carved by: (1) a central top-event representing the hazard state, (2) causal pathways on the left branching from pot…
Definition
Why it is in scope
A human-made risk assessment methodology: a visual construct that maps causal pathways from potential causes, through a top-event hazard, to consequences, with barriers plotted on either side in a bow-tie diagram. Built to persist through safety management systems and regulatory documentation standards.
Names and aliases
- bow-tie-analysisen · CANONICAL
Relations from this entry
- cms8a929t007573fkafm8ap7iSERVES →
Bow-tie analysis is a visual risk-assessment method that maps hazards, threats, safeguards (barriers), and consequences in a single diagram. It is designed and maintained for the sake of risk-management: it provides practitioners with a clear, actionable picture of risk controls and their effectiveness, enabling better risk decisions. Servant→master direction correct.
- cms883nr100351c4rlyyeywusINSTANCE_OF →
bow-tie-analysis is a specific kind of hazard-analysis method. The bow-tie diagram maps hazards, threats, consequences, and controls in a single visual. A competent risk analyst would call it 'a hazard analysis method.' Direction test: hazard-analysis is the general category; bow-tie-analysis is the specific instance. INSTANCE_OF per Law 9.
- cms81mqtv00jeh6s8s7t3j6hyINSTANCE_OF →
Bow-tie-analysis IS a specific kind of risk-assessment: it combines fault-tree analysis (backward cause tracing) with event-tree analysis (forward effect tracing) on a single visual diagram to assess risk scenarios. A competent speaker would call a bow-tie-analysis a risk-assessment technique.
- cms89fknp002773fkfmafs3brDEPENDS_ON →
Bow-tie-analysis centers on the hazard event — its entire methodological structure (left side causes, center event, right side consequences, controls) is organized around identifying and analyzing a hazard. Remove the concept of hazard and bow-tie-analysis has no operating function. Constitutive dependency, not meta-level.
- cms8vp46t02bw73fk0i3zar8rINSTANCE_OF →
Bow-tie-analysis is a specific hazard-assessment technique that visualizes threats, controls, and consequences in a bow-tie diagram. It is a concrete method within the broader hazard-assessment practice.
Relations to this entry
No accepted relations in this direction.
Record identity
- Created
- Jul 31, 2026, 2:13 AM UTC
- Content hash
- 8bdd3b859346bb635244e43ddd9b0233647d22995c4b51425bc97ed3b5b412b4