Socio-technical systems are those which rely not only on technology but on humans and social organizations for their adequate functioning. Failures in these systems, depending on the magnitude of their adverse affects, can lead to disasters. It is widely accepted that proactive risk management strategies is a way towards reducing the numbers of disasters in socio-technical systems. In this context early warning systems and their services can be seen as tools that support these strategies.

In my talk I will introduce the "Socio-technical Early Warning System" concept and I will present some results of our research that aims at developing a web based socio-technical early warning system for the water utilities in the Republic of Ireland. This novel early warning system is intended to be used by many actors within different organisations dedicated to the provision of clean, wholesome drinking water in the Republic of Ireland, such as the Irish Environmental Protection Agency and the Health Service Executive.