Worst-case scenario

A worst-case scenario is a concept in risk management wherein the planner, in planning for potential disasters, considers the most severe possible outcome that can reasonably be projected to occur in a given situation. Conceiving of worst-case scenarios is a common form of strategic planning, specifically scenario planning, to prepare for and minimize contingencies that could result in accidents, quality problems, or other issues.

Development and use

The worst-case scenario is "[o]ne of the most commonly used alternative scenarios". A risk manager may request "a conservative risk estimate representing a worst-case scenario" in order to determine the latitude they may exercise in planning steps to reduce risks. Generally, a worst-case scenario "is settled upon by agreeing that a given worst case is bad enough. However, it is important to recognize that no worst-case scenario is truly without potential nasty surprises". In other words, "[a] “worst-case scenario” is never the worst case", both because situations may arise that no planner could reasonably foresee, and because a given worst-case scenario is likely to consider only contingencies expected to arise in connection with a particular disaster. The worst-case scenario devised by a seismologist might be a particularly bad earthquake, and the worst-case scenario devised by a meteorologist might be a particularly bad hurricane, but it is unlikely that either of them will devise a scenario where a particularly bad storm occurs at the same time as a particularly bad earthquake.

Worst-case scenario (disambiguation)

Worst-case scenario may refer to:

See also

Worst-Case Scenario (TV series)

Worst-Case Scenario was a survival skills television series hosted by Bear Grylls on the Discovery Channel. Bear Grylls showed how to survive in different natural cataclysms, man-made disasters, accidents, and other non-standard situations. In this series, Grylls used skills he learned in the 21 SAS (also known as the 21 Regiment Special Air Service) which include self-defense, evasive driving, parkour, urban survival, and wilderness survival.

Like the earlier Worst-Case Scenarios TV show, it was based on the Worst-Case Scenario Survival Handbook and other related titles and merchandise.

In March 2012, Discovery Channel terminated its contract with Grylls due to a contractual dispute.

Episodes

The following is a list of episodes in the series.