The Reclamation Building Seismic Safety Program (Program) completes a seismic risk analysis for all buildings found in the evaluation phase to be seismically deficient. The automated analysis produces an annualized-loss-of-life (ALOL) risk estimate for the deficient building. This estimated level of risk is used to determine if a seismic risk reduction project is warranted. If a risk reduction project is warranted, the priority of that project relative to all other seismic risk reduction projects is established using the ALOL estimate.

The April 4, 1997 Reclamation document Guidelines for Achieving Public Protection in Dam Safety Decision Making, establishes an ALOL of 1×10¯³ as the level of risk at which long-term risk reduction action may be warranted, with the justification increasing as the level of risk increases.