name: risk-management-specialist description: > Medical device risk management specialist implementing ISO 14971 throughout product lifecycle. Provides risk analysis, risk evaluation, risk control, and post-production information analysis. license: MIT + Commons Clause metadata: version: 1.1.0 author: borghei category: compliance domain: risk-management updated: 2026-06-15 tags: [iso-14971, risk-analysis, fmea, risk-register, medical-device]
Risk Management Specialist
ISO 14971:2019 risk management implementation throughout the medical device lifecycle — planning, hazard analysis, risk evaluation, risk control, residual-risk assessment, and post-production monitoring — extended for AI/ML, cybersecurity (IEC 81001-5-1), supply chain, and cross-framework alignment (NIST CSF, DORA, NIS2).
Core Capabilities
- Risk management planning — scope, 5x5 acceptability matrix, RACI, verification and post-production planning
- Risk analysis & evaluation — hazard identification across 9 categories, P1-P5 / S1-S5 estimation, ALARP, benefit-risk triggers
- Risk control — priority hierarchy (inherent safety → protective measures → information for safety), verification methods, residual-risk evaluation
- Post-production monitoring — information sources, review triggers, RM-file update procedures, periodic review
- Extended domains — AI/ML risk (bias, drift, adversarial inputs), health-software cybersecurity, supply chain risk, cross-framework mapping
When to Use
- Implementing ISO 14971:2019 across the device lifecycle
- Building a hazard analysis / risk register using FMEA, FTA, HAZOP, or Use Error Analysis
- Evaluating residual risk and demonstrating ALARP or benefit-risk acceptability
- Extending risk management to AI/ML devices, cybersecurity, or supply chain
- Setting up post-production risk monitoring and Risk Management File update triggers
Clarify First
Before running the risk assessment, confirm these inputs. If any is unknown or vague, ASK — do not assume:
- Device and intended use — what it is and its use context (drives the hazard categories and benefit-risk analysis)
- Lifecycle stage — planning, hazard analysis, risk control, or post-production (picks the workflow)
- Acceptability criteria — the 5x5 matrix thresholds and ALARP definition (determines the risk-evaluation outcomes)
Stop rule: ask only the 2-3 that most change the output. If the user says "just draft it," proceed and list your assumptions at the top of the risk register.
Quick Start
# ISO 14971 risk level (probability × severity, 1-5 each)
python scripts/risk_matrix_calculator.py --probability 3 --severity 4
# FMEA Risk Priority Number (severity / occurrence / detection, 1-10 each)
python scripts/risk_matrix_calculator.py --fmea --severity 8 --occurrence 4 --detection 3
# Guided interactive assessment, or list the full criteria scales
python scripts/risk_matrix_calculator.py --interactive
python scripts/risk_matrix_calculator.py --list-criteria
References
Load the reference that matches the task — keep this file lean and pull detail on demand:
- references/risk-process.md — full ISO 14971 process: planning, analysis, evaluation, control, and post-production workflows; 5x5 acceptability matrix; probability/severity criteria; hazard checklist; and the decision frameworks. Read when executing any lifecycle stage.
- references/risk-analysis-methods.md — FMEA, FTA, HAZOP, Use Error Analysis, and software hazard analysis methods. Read when choosing and applying a hazard-analysis technique.
- references/iso14971-implementation-guide.md — complete ISO 14971:2019 implementation framework with templates. Read for clause-level implementation detail.
- references/templates-and-tools.md — Hazard Analysis / FMEA worksheets, Risk Management Report template, full
risk_matrix_calculator.pyflag reference, troubleshooting table, and success criteria. Read when documenting assessments or diagnosing tool issues. - references/extended-risk-domains.md — AI/ML risk categories and methodology, IEC 81001-5-1 cybersecurity integration, supply chain risk, post-market monitoring automation, combined safety-security FMEA, and NIST CSF / DORA / NIS2 cross-framework mapping. Read for connected, software, or AI-enabled devices.
Scope & Limitations
In Scope:
- ISO 14971:2019 risk management process implementation (planning, analysis, evaluation, control, residual risk, production/post-production)
- 5x5 risk matrix calculation and FMEA RPN scoring
- Hazard analysis methodology guidance (FMEA, FTA, HAZOP, Use Error Analysis, PHA)
- Risk control hierarchy application and verification planning
- Benefit-risk analysis framework
- Post-production risk monitoring and risk file update triggers
- AI/ML-specific risk management extensions (model bias, drift, adversarial inputs)
- Cybersecurity risk integration per IEC 81001-5-1
- Supply chain risk assessment methodology
- Cross-framework risk mapping (ISO 14971, NIST CSF, DORA, NIS2)
Out of Scope:
- Clinical investigation design or execution (risk management informs clinical strategy but does not execute studies)
- Software hazard analysis per IEC 62304 (the skill references software risk but detailed software lifecycle management requires IEC 62304 expertise)
- Biocompatibility testing or ISO 10993 evaluation (the skill identifies biological hazards but does not execute biocompatibility testing)
- Cybersecurity penetration testing or vulnerability scanning (use infrastructure-compliance-auditor for technical security testing)
- CAPA root cause analysis execution (use capa-officer for 5-Why, Fishbone, FTA, FMEA-based root cause investigation)
- Regulatory submission of risk management files (use regulatory-affairs-head for submission strategy and packaging)
Integration Points
| Skill | Integration |
|---|---|
| quality-manager-qms-iso13485 | Risk management (Clause 7.1) integrates with QMS product realization planning; risk file is part of the Design History File |
| capa-officer | Post-market risk signals may trigger CAPA; CAPA root cause analysis methods (FMEA, FTA) overlap with risk analysis techniques |
| regulatory-affairs-head | Risk management file is required for FDA submissions and EU MDR Technical Documentation; benefit-risk analysis supports clinical evaluation |
| quality-documentation-manager | Risk management file and records must be controlled per document control procedures (Clause 4.2) |
| fda-consultant-specialist | FDA cybersecurity guidance (2025 update) requires integration of security risks into ISO 14971 processes for premarket submissions |
| infrastructure-compliance-auditor | Technical security controls validated by the infrastructure auditor serve as risk mitigations for cybersecurity threats in the risk assessment |
| nist-csf-specialist | NIST CSF risk assessment (ID.RA) maps to ISO 14971 hazard identification and risk estimation; unified risk register possible |