What is A Swiss Cheese Plan?

A Swiss Cheese Plan is a type of risk management strategy that involves layering multiple defensive measures, each with its own weaknesses or “holes,” in order to reduce the likelihood of an adverse event occurring.

The idea is that the overlapping weaknesses of the different measures will create a protective barrier that is less likely to be breached than any single measure alone.

The name “Swiss Cheese Plan” comes from the fact that the holes in the different layers of defense resemble the holes in a slice of Swiss cheese.

This approach is often used in safety-critical industries, such as aviation and healthcare, to reduce the risk of accidents or errors.