System safety approaches

Accidents in industry occur for many reasons. A few of which can be attributed to mechanical failure, operational error (human error), and process upset, and design error. In order to understand tlie root cause of an accident, system safety approaches have been put to use. 

Ota, Daniel Shuichiro. Assuring Safety in High-Speed Magnetically Levitated (Maglev) Systems The Need for a System Safety Approach. Master s thesis, MIT, May 2008. 

The MIL-STD-882D standard practice describes a system safety approach that is useful in the management of Environmental, Health of Safety mishap risks encountered in the life cycle of Department of Defense (DOD) systems, subsystems, equipment, and facilities. To paraphrase the standard, mishap risk must be identified, evaluated, and mitigated to a level acceptable (as defined by the system user or customer) to the appropriate authority, and compliant with federal laws and related rules. Further, residual mishap risk associated with an individual system must be reported to and accepted by the appropriate authority. These basic requirements are fundamental to system safety. 

The standard has both general and detailed requirements. General requirements include documentation of the system safety approach, identification of hazards, risk assessment, identification of risk mitigation measures, reduction of risk to an acceptable level, verification of risk reduction, review of hazards and acceptance of residual risk, and tracking of hazards and residual risk. When a government contract specifies MIL-STD-882D and no other requirement, only the general requirements apply. 

It is common now to see the application of the system safety approach, tools, and techniques in more and more industries without using the words system safety.This is evident by the more than 100 techniques described in the System Safety Analysis Handbook.V/hile I am thrilled that the philosophy continues to expand, it is important to understand the basis for which most of the techniques are derived to ensure that they are applied appropriately. 

Part I introduces the reader to the system safety process, how it evolved, how it can be managed, and how it relates to the current practice of the industrial safety and health profession. In fact, on completion of Part I, the reader shall have developed a clear understanding of this relationship and, quite possibly, have developed an interest in the further pursuit of the system safety profession. As noted in the Preface, the information provided here is introductory in scope, intended to merely acquaint the reader with the system safety approach to hazard analysis and hazard risk reduction. 

There are several other extensions of system safety analysis and techniques that make a system safety approach an effective one. Applications of system safety methods find their way into many safety problems. Some of these have less formal procedures. This section covers a few examples. 

It may be seen that the system safety approach is very closely allied to the risk management approach. Indeed, the logical progression of system safety management techniques has been incorporated into many risk management processes, and also to other linked disciplines such as total quality management and environmental management systems. 

The actions, policies, and procedures of the corporations involved did not provide an effective systems safety approach commensurate with the risks of the Macondo well. The multiple flawed decisions that led to the blowout indicated a lack of a strong safety culture and a deficient overall systems approach to safety. Industrial management involved with the MacoaAo-Deepwater Horizon disaster failed to appreciate or plan for the safety challenges presented by the Macondo well. 

The actions, policies, and procedures of the corporations involved did not provide an effective systems safety approach... 

This paper has presented ESA s current system safety approach and spme proposals for its improvement which are under consideration. 

The accident-centered methods adopted are those outlined in chapter 3. Accident rates were computed to identify black spots. Behavioral methods were then applied serving to study hazards and dangers related to work activities in fall-liable situations. Finally, ergonomic and behavior-related measures were suggested according to the systems safety approach. 

FMEA/FMECA is an effective approach for risk assessment, risk management, and risk communication concerns. This analysis provides information that can be used in risk management decisions for system safety. FMEA has been used successfully within many different industries and has recently been applied in maritime regulations to address safety concerns with relatively new designs. While FMEA/FMECA is a useful tool for risk management, it also has qualities that limit its application as a complete system safety approach. This technique provides risk analysis for comparison of single component failures only. 

---