A computationally simple method is outlined to calculate the maximum adiabatic temperature rise for the decomposition of a compound. This method, termed the MART method, is shown to be useful to assess the likelihood of a compound being an energy release hazard. Calculations were made for a number of classes of compounds and the results were analyzed for each class. The method was shown to give relatively clear transitions between compounds not being energy release hazards up to a breakpoint value and being energy release hazards at higher values past the breakpoint value. Peroxides were shown to be a class of compounds that the method works less well on. A predictive rule that could be used regardless of compound class is suggested. The MART method was compared to the more computationally intensive CART method and was found to be quite similar in performance. Also discussed is the potential incorporation of the MART method into the CHETAH (TM) software. (c) 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.