Investigation of risk factors in university Laboratories: An improved fuzzy based FMEA approach

Identifying and assessing risks in an environment are critical to managing them effectively. Recently, risk management in university laboratories has become a vital issue due to increasing academic studies. In this study, the aim is to reduce the impact of hazards and risk factors in the laboratory environment, enhance safety levels, and prevent potential accidents. For this purpose, traditional risk assessment methods alone are deemed insufficient, and an integrated risk analysis approach is adopted. In addition, in order to reflect the reality and uncertainty in the application more accurately, calculations were made with Pythagorean Fuzzy numbers and opinions were obtained from experts working in the laboratory. After the step of weighting the experts, the steps of weighting the criteria and evaluating the risk factors were carried out according to their experience. In the study, probability, severity, frequency and detectability criteria were used based on the Failure Mode and Effect Analysis (FMEA) method. The risk assessment phase was carried out with Pythagorean Fuzzy Step-Wise Weight Assessment Ratio Analysis (PF-SWARA) and Pythagorean Fuzzy Evaluation Based on Distance from Average Solution (PF-EDAS) methods. In addition, sensitivity analyses were performed to examine the effects of changes in criteria and expert weights on the ranking of risk factors. The results of this study will provide an important source of information for improving the safety of laboratories and taking effective measures against risks.