Containing papers presented at the 18th European Safety and Reliability Conference (Esrel 2009) in Prague, Czech Republic, September 2009, Reliability, Risk and Safety - Theory and Applications will be of interest for academics and professionals working in a wide range of industrial and governmental sectors, including Aeronautics and Aerospace, Automotive Engineering, Civil Engineering, Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Energy Production and Distribution, Environmental Engineering, Information Technology and Telecommunications, Critical Infrastructures, Insurance and Finance, Manufacturing, Marine Industry, Mechanical Engineering, Natural Hazards, Nuclear Engineering, Offshore Oil and Gas, Security and Protection, Transportation, Policy Making.