System Safety Process

System Safety Process

Introduction

System Safety has been defined by the United States Naval Safety Center as being the established method which can be employed to identify possible attacks or hazards over the course of the design process and prevent possible attacks by focusing on the main causes behind them. This tactic has been proactive in identifying risks that may be present in the design process and also assesses systems that are in place for potential failures and ultimately provides a set of engineering principles practice approach. This approach is beneficial in identifying and resolving potential threats. The Department of the Army has taken this concept very seriously and has written a 55-page pamphlet containing very detailed information on how to use and implement a System Safety Program way back in 1987 (Albinet et al, 2008).

Outside the United States Government, many civilian industries are now feeling the pressure to implement practices of corporate social responsibility and implement measure to ensure employee safety and environmental well-being. It must be noted that civilian industries does not have a history of implementing safety systems but are now looking to develop a System Safety Program to enhance process safety. Typically, new industries find themselves swamped with information on safety standards and terminology that can seem overwhelming. For existing companies, they sometimes find it best to hire a specialist to examine and implement a new compliance program. Remember, companies that simply comply with the rules and regulations are not fully enhancing their entire system because each system is different and needs to be evaluated as such. This is the greatest advantage of implementing a System Safety Program. A System Safety Program specifically analysis's each particular process and the analytical methods are state of the art.

At this point, we should understand the definition of a system. Simply put, a system can be thought of as a collection of procedures, people, hardware and facilities that are environment-specific and are employed to accomplish certain tasks for the organization. A system cannot function properly without realistic principle values to operate by; this should be generated from the upper management level. Integrity, teamwork, goal for excellence, and purposefulness are some examples of a valued-based approach that management can follow in their style to carry out daily missions. Reasonable goals should be assessed through knowledge, existing information and science and technology capabilities. If goals for a system fall outside a reasonable expectation, the system will ultimately fail as a result. Companies implementing a System Safety Program must have this concept on the forefront of every step in this transformation (Bar-Yam, 2005).

System Safety Process Diagram

Design and Construction Phase

Once a company has established this foundation for a System Safety program to be implemented, it is time to ask three simple questions. Where do we want to go and where we now, these questions will allow a company to get an overview of how to fill the gaps in between. For new companies, the design and construction phase begins ...