What does ALARP stand for and what does it mean in risk management?

• A. As Low As Reasonably Practicable; risks should be reduced as far as reasonably practicable, considering cost, time, and effort.
• B. As Low As Required by Policy; risks reduced regardless of cost.
• C. All Levels Are Risk-Proactive; all risks must be eliminated.
• D. Analysis Leads And Returns Predictably; risk quantified.

Answer: (A)

ALARP stands for As Low As Reasonably Practicable. In risk management, it means you should reduce risks to the lowest level that can be achieved without incurring disproportionate costs, time, or effort. Practically, you weigh the additional benefit of further risk reduction against the sacrifice required to achieve it; if the next improvement would cost more than the benefit justifies, you stop, accepting the residual risk. This approach recognizes that zero risk is rarely achievable or worth the expense, so risk is managed to a demonstrably prudent level. The other descriptions misstate the idea: risk isn’t reduced regardless of cost, all risk isn’t required to be eliminated, and ALARP isn’t simply about analysis or predictability.