In order to assess risk as a basic step for securing safety, it requires to select risk factors and determine the frequency and the severity of the consequence of each risk factor. This research adopted common risk factors among well-known maritime risk assessment models, and proposed objective criteria to gauge the risk level of each risk factor. The starting points of risk evolution were chosen for criteria according to related studies and seafarers’ experience. The rate of risk appearance over the criteria is named as the incidence of risk factor. Therefore, the total risk level is expressed as the combination of incidence of each risk factor and severity. This quantitative method would be applied to measuring and comparing the risk level of target maritime zones, and it would also be useful to survey which risk factor be focused for reducing the total risk of a certain maritime zone.

This paper compared the consistency of the Environment Stress(ES) model and the Potential Risk Assessment Model (PARK model, which was developed based on a Korean mariner risk perception) for the Busan adjacent waterway. Evaluation of accuracy and comparison of these two models have been made by Vessel Traffic Service (VTS) officers in the Busan VTS Centre. The assessment results of Busan waterway show that the PARK model is more consistent than the ES model as follows. (1) The difference between assessment results applying ES model and PARK model with risk degree of VTSOs were 34% and 5% respectively in six typical traffic situations. (2) The assessment using PARK model is more suitable and identical with the VTSOs opinion in his or her duty time.