Effective communication between the system safety engineer and the Project Manager is an essential characteristic of good risk management in a robust system safety program. However, these two disciplines utilize similar terms with disparate meanings than can lead to sub-optimal technical or programmatic outcomes. MIL-STD-882E defines risk as ?A combination of the severity of the mishap and the probability that the mishap will occur.??The Project Management Book of Knowledge (PMBOK) Guide, 6th?Edition, defines individual project risk as ?an uncertain event or condition that, if it occurs, has a positive or negative effect on one or more project objectives.?1?It is incumbent upon the system safety professional to clearly communicate safety- related issues, hazards, risks, and concerns using language most likely to be understood by the Project Manager to ensure he or she has the requisite information to make a sound programmatic decision. This paper explores discrepancies between project risk management and safety risk management standard processes that hinder clear communication and can drastically impact program performance. We present methods to consider that will improve understanding between the system safety professional and the Project Manager and two framework approaches for integrating safety and project risks.
