Hard crash: How problems become catastrophes

This fictitious scenario brings to life the factors that can lead to disaster. When a natural hazard — lightning — trips an electrical system and puts a production plant offline, a lack of maintenance and safety features and an unfinished contingency plan turn what could have been an inconvenience into an event with far-reaching consequences.

Put together by Risk and Insurance editors and industry partners, this thought-provoking piece shows the potentially devastating economic and human cost of ignoring simple precautions.