Chapter 5

Risk, Safety and Accidents

Risk, Safety and Accidents

The most important duty of an engineer is to protect the safety and well-being of the public

Definitions

Safety is defined as the freedom from damage, injury or risk Risk is defined as the possibility of suffering harm or loss, similar to danger

Linked
The definitions of safety and risk are linked We engage in risky behavior when we do something that is unsafe Something is unsafe

if it involves substantial risk

Factors in Risk and Safety

Whether something is safe or free of risk is subjective and depends on many factors
Voluntary vs. involuntary risk
Many consider something safe if the risks involved have been fully disclosed to them beforehand

Short vs. long-term consequences

Something that might cause a short-lived disability or illness often seems safer than something that could result in a permanent disability

Factors in Risk and Safety

Expected probability
1 in 1,000,000 chance of severe injury is often considered to be an acceptable risk, whereas a 50:50 chance of fairly minor injury may be judged as unacceptable

Reversible effects
Things often seem less risky if the bad effects are ultimately reversible

Factors in Risk and Safety

Delayed vs. immediate effects
An activity whose harmful effect is delayed for many years may seem less risky than something with an immediate effect

Safety and risk are subjective, the engineer and his/her company must use their professional judgment to determine whether a project can be safely implemented

Four Criteria for Safe Design

Designs must comply with applicable laws Alternative designs that are potentially safer must be explored

A design must meet the standard of accepted engineering practice. If it is accepted practice to go further than regulations require, designs which do not meet the de facto industry standards will be rejected by the public The engineer must attempt to foresee potential misuses of the product by the consumer and must design to minimize the risks associated with such misuse

Designing for Safety

Define the problem, including the needs, requirements and constraints Generate several different solutions to the problem Analyze each solution to determine the pros and cons of each Test the solution Select the best solution Implement the chosen solution

Risk-Benefit Analysis
Risks and benefits of a project are assigned dollar amounts Most favorable ratio between risks and benefits is sought

This is often a difficult task because

It is often difficult to assign appropriate dollar amounts Technique can be misused by dishonest and subjective assignment of costs

Accidents

We define three types of accidents Procedural Engineered Systemic

Procedural Accidents
Most common accident category
Often caused by a bad choice or failure to follow regulations or established procedures Can be reduced through increased training, more supervision, new laws or regulations, or closer scrutiny (teliti- cermat) by regulators

Engineered Accidents
Caused by flaws in the design of a product or system and include

Failure of materials Devices that do not perform as expected Devices that do not perform well under all circumstances encountered
Engineered accidents can be reduced by testing throughout the entire range of possible operating conditions

Engineered failures should be anticipated during the design phase and should be caught and corrected during testing

Systemic Accidents
The hardest accident type to understand and control
A series of minor mistakes or insignificant factors, can, if they occur under certain circumstances have catastrophic consequences Can be reduced by paying scrupulous (cermat) attention to detail and by resisting the urge to ignore procedures and accepted engineering practice

Characteristic of complex technologies and systems and within the complex organizations required for their operation

Conclusion

Definitions of safety and risk Factors in determining safety and risk Criteria for safe design Designing for safety Accidents

Procedural Engineered Systemic