Safe Design in Australia: Overview, Statistics, and Principles

This post provides an overview of Safe Design in Australia: Overview, Statistics, and Principles.



Introduction



Learn about safe design in Australia, integrating hazard identification and risk assessment methods early in the design process to minimize injury risks.



Safe design is about integrating hazard identification and risk assessment methods early in the design process, to eliminate or minimize risks of injury throughout the life of a product. This applies to buildings, structures, equipment, and vehicles.



Statistics and Research



Discover key statistics on work-related fatalities caused by unsafe design and design-related factors in Australia.



- Of 639 work-related fatalities from 2006­­ to 2011, one-third (188) were caused by unsafe design or design-related factors that contributed to the fatality.



- Of all fatalities where safe design was identified as an issue, one-fifth (21%) was caused by inadequate protective guarding for workers.



- 188 work-related fatalities from 2006-2011 were caused by unsafe design.



- 21% of fatalities where safe design was identified as an issue were caused by inadequate guarding.



- 73% of all design-related fatalities were from agriculture, forestry, and fishing, construction, and manufacturing industries.



A Safe Design Approach



Understand the importance of safe design in various industries and explore the considerations involved in the design process.



Safe design begins at the concept development phase of a structure when you’re making decisions about:



- the design and its intended purpose



- materials to be used



- possible methods of construction, maintenance, operation, demolition or dismantling, and disposal



- what legislation, codes of practice, and standards need to be considered and complied with.



Consider how safety can best be achieved in each of the lifecycle phases, for example:



- Designing a machine with protective guarding that will allow it to be operated safely, while also ensuring it can be installed, maintained, and disposed of safely.



- Designing a building with a lift for occupants, where the design also includes sufficient space and safe access to the lift well or machine room for maintenance work.



Five Principles of Safe Design



Explore the five principles of safe design, enabling health and safety promotion throughout the product lifecycle.



- Principle 1: Persons with control—those who make decisions affecting the design of products, facilities or processes are able to promote health and safety at the source.



- Principle 2: Product lifecycle—safe design applies to every stage in the lifecycle from conception through to disposal. It involves eliminating hazards or minimizing risks as early in the lifecycle as possible.



- Principle 3: Systematic risk management—apply hazard identification, risk assessment, and risk control processes to achieve a safe design.



- Principle 4: Safe design knowledge and capability—should be either demonstrated or acquired by those who control design.



- Principle 5: Information transfer—effective communication and documentation of design and risk control information amongst everyone involved in the phases of the lifecycle is essential for the safe design approach.



These principles have been derived from Towards a Regulatory Regime for Safe Design .  For more detail see Guidance on the principles of safe design for work.



Figure 1, Model of Safe Design Process



Ergonomics and Good Work Design



Learn how safe design incorporates ergonomics principles and promotes good work design for a healthy and safe work environment. Safe design incorporates ergonomics principles as well as good work design.



- Ensure workplace hazards and risks are eliminated or minimized so all workers remain healthy and safe at work.



- It can involve the design of work, workstations, operational procedures, computer systems, or manufacturing processes.



Responsibility for Safe Design



Discover the parties responsible for ensuring safe design in different stages of the lifecycle and the importance of collaboration.



When it comes to achieving safe design, responsibility rests with those groups or individuals who control or manage design functions. This includes:



- Architects, industrial designers, or draftspersons who carry out the design on behalf of a client.



- Individuals who make design decisions during any of the lifecycle phases such as engineers, manufacturers, suppliers, installers, builders, developers, project managers, and WHS professionals.



- Anyone who alters a design.



- Building service designers or others designing fixed plant such as ventilation and electrical systems.



- Buyers who specify the characteristics of products and materials such as masonry blocks and by default decide the weights bricklayers must handle.



Safe design is achieved more effectively when all the parties who control and influence the design outcome collaborate on incorporating safety measures into the design.



For more information on who is responsible for safe design see Guidance on the principles of safe design for work, the Principles of Good Work Design Handbook, and the model Code of Practice: Safe Design of Structures and WHS Regulations.



Design Considerations for Plant



Explore the essential considerations when designing plant equipment to ensure safety throughout its lifecycle. Examples of things we should consider when designing plant include:



- All the phases in the lifecycle of an item of plant from manufacture through use, to dismantling and disposal.



- Design for safe erection and installation.



- Design to facilitate safe use by considering, for example, the physical characteristics of users, the maximum number of tasks an operator can be expected to perform at any one time, and the layout of the workstation or environment in which the plant may be used.



- Consider intended use and reasonably foreseeable misuse.



- Consider the difficulties workers may face when maintaining or repairing the plant.



- Consider types of failure or malfunction and design the plant to fail in a safe manner.



Product Lifecycle



Understand the significance of considering the product lifecycle in safe design and how it contributes to sustainability.



The lifecycle of a product is a key concept of sustainable and safe design. It provides a framework for eliminating the hazards at the design stage and/or controlling the risk as the product is:



- constructed or manufactured



- imported, supplied, or installed



- commissioned, used, or operated



- maintained, repaired, cleaned, and/or modified



- de-commissioned, demolished, and/or dismantled



- disposed of or recycled.



Create a safer product by eliminating or controlling the hazards and risks that could impact on downstream users in the lifecycle. Do this during design, manufacture, or construction. In these early phases, there is greater scope to design out hazards and/or incorporate risk control measures that are compatible with the original design concept and functional requirements of the product.



- Designers must have a good understanding of the lifecycle of the item they are designing, including the needs of users and the environment in which that item may be used.



- New risks may emerge as products are modified or the environments in which they are used change.



Safety can be further improved if each person who has control over actions taken in any of the lifecycle phases. Take steps to ensure health and safety is proactively addressed, by reviewing the design and checking it meets safety standards in each of the lifecycle phases.



Subsequent stages of the product’s lifecycle should not go ahead until the preceding phase design reviews have been considered and approved by those with control.



Figure 2: Lifecycle of Designed Products 



Figure 2, Safe Design Lifecycle.



Benefits of Safe Design



Discover the benefits of implementing safe design practices, including injury prevention, cost reduction, and compliance with legislation.



It is estimated that inherently safe plant and equipment would save between 5–10% of their cost through reductions in inventories of hazardous materials, reduced need for protective equipment, and the reduced costs of testing and maintaining the equipment.



- The direct costs associated with unsafe design can be significant, for example retrofitting, workers’ compensation and insurance levies, environmental clean-up, and negligence claims.



- Since these costs impact more on parties downstream in the lifecycle who buy and use the product more, the incentive for these parties to influence and benefit from safe design is also greater.



A safe design approach results in many benefits including:



- prevent injury and disease



- improve the useability of products, systems, and facilities



- improve productivity



- reduce costs



- better predict and manage production and operational costs over the lifecycle of a product



- comply with legislation



- innovate, in that safe design demands new thinking.



Legal Obligations



Learn about the legal duties imposed on different parties involved in the design process to ensure health and safety compliance.



Australian WHS laws impose duties on a range of parties to ensure health and safety in relation to particular products such as:



- designers of plant, buildings, and structures



- building owners and persons with control of workplaces



- manufacturers, importers, and suppliers of plant and substances



- persons who install, erect or modify plant.



These obligations may vary depending on the relevant state, territory, or Commonwealth WHS legislation.



Those who make decisions that influence design such as clients, chief financial officers, developers, builders, directors, and managers will also have duties under WHS laws if they are employers, self-employed or if they manage or control workplaces.



- For example, a client who has a building or structure designed and built for leasing becomes the owner of the building and may therefore have a duty as a person who manages or controls a workplace.



There are other provisions governing the design of buildings and structures in state and territory building laws. The BCA is the principal instrument for regulating architects, engineers, and others involved in the design of buildings and structures.



- Although the BCA provides minimum standards to ensure the health and safety of building occupants (such as structural adequacy, fire safety, amenities, and ventilation), it does not cover the breadth of WHS matters that may arise during the construction phase or in the use of buildings and structures as workplaces.



In addition, there are technical design standards and guidelines produced by government agencies, Standards Australia, and relevant professional bodies



Healthy and Safe by Design



Explore how the Australian Work Health and Safety Strategy emphasizes the elimination and minimization of hazards through effective design.



This is one of the Seven action areas in the Australian Work Health and Safety Strategy 2012-2022.



Hazards are Eliminated or Minimised by Design



The most effective and durable means of creating a healthy and safe working environment is to eliminate hazards and risks during the design of new plant, structures, substances, and technology and of jobs, processes, and systems. This design process needs to take into account hazards and risks that may be present at all stages of the lifecycle of structures, plant, products, and substances.



Good design can eliminate or minimize the major physical, biomechanical, and psychosocial hazards and risks associated with work. Effective design of the overall system of work will take into account, for example, management practices, work processes, schedules, tasks, and workstation design.



Sustainable return to work or remaining at work while recovering from injury or illness is facilitated by good job design and management. Managers have an obligation to make reasonable adjustments to the design of the work and work processes to accommodate individuals’ differing capabilities.



Workers’ general health and well-being are strongly influenced by their health and safety at work. Well-designed work can improve worker health. Activities under the Australian Strategy build appropriate linkages with healthy worker programs to support improved general worker well-being as well as health and safety.



National activities support the following outcomes:



- Structures, plant, and substances are designed to eliminate or minimize hazards and risks before they are introduced into the workplace.



- Work, work processes, and systems of work are designed and managed to eliminate or minimize hazards and risks.



END: Safe Design in Australia



My name’s Simon Di Nucci. I’m a practicing system safety engineer, and I have been, for the last 25 years; I’ve worked in all kinds of domains, aircraft, ships, submarines, sensors, and command and control systems, and some work on rail air traffic management systems, and lots of software safety. So, I’ve done a lot of different things!



The original webpage is © Commonwealth of Austr​alia, 2020; it is covered by a Creative Commons licence (CCBY 4.0) – for full details see here.



Back to Safe Design Page | Back to Home Page

#DesignProcess #DesignResponsibility #Ergonomics #howtosafedesign #howtosafedesignanalysis #InjuryPrevention #learnsafedesign #learnsafedesignanalysis #LifecycleSafety #PlantDesign #ProductLifecycle #RiskControl #riskmanagement #Safebydesignprinciples #safedesign #safedesignanalysistechnique #safedesignanalysistraining #safedesignanalysistutorial #safedesignprinciples #safedesigntechnique #safedesigntraining #safedesigntutorial #safedesignvideo #safedesigns #SafetyAtWork #safetystandards #WHSCompliance #WorkDesign

Simon Di Nucci https://www.safetyartisan.com/2023/06/07/safe-design-in-australia/

Understanding System Safety Engineering: A Holistic Approach to Ensuring Safety

Understanding System Safety Engineering: A Holistic Approach to Ensuring Safety. To know that we first need to understand what Systems Engineering is...



Section 1: The Basics of Systems Engineering



It starts with needs and concepts, which may be quite abstract, and progressively breaks these down into concrete, specific requirements. We also determine how those requirements will be verified.



Section 2: The Transformative Process



We then transform those requirements into a logical architecture and then into a design. Then the design is translated into physical and functional components that can be developed or bought. Through all these transformations, the requirements are decomposed and flow down. Thus, we see how each component, or Configurable Item, contributes to meeting the requirements for the overall System.



Section 3: The Practice of System Safety Engineering



Finally, we must put the components together - integrate them - perhaps testing as we go to make sure that they work together. We can then verify the completed system, and support customer validation.



That's the theory (albeit very briefly, I went on a week-long course just to learn the basics). In my experience, the practice of System Safety Engineering involves five things, it:



- Deals with the whole system, including software, data, people, and environment;



- Uses a systematic (rigorous) process;



- Concentrates on requirements (to cope with complexity);



- Considers safety early in the system life cycle; and



- Handles complexity cost-effectively and efficiently.



Understanding System Safety Engineering: A Holistic Approach to Ensuring Safety



https://youtu.be/hse2M_ZeDzQ

Understanding System Safety Engineering: A Holistic Approach to Ensuring Safety - watch the Lesson Here.



get more like this for free



System Safety Engineering: Transcript



What is system safety or system safety engineering? Well, as the name suggests, system safety is engineering safety in a systems-engineering context. Okay. So it's safety that's deliberately sat within a systems-engineering framework.



That drives everything about how we consider safety.  Like systems engineering in general, it follows systems theory. But I'm not going to talk about systems theory now. That's a huge subject.



I'm not actually an expert in , but I'm going to talk about three practical things that I've observed from doing system safety for 25 years or so.



Section 5: Considering the Whole System



First of all, we consider the system holistically. So it's not just the technical stuff. It's not just the hardware. It's the software as well if there's any software in the system.



It's the operating environment around the system and what we're doing with it, the functions that we're asking it to do, all the applications that we're putting it to, and we include the people who are using it. We include all the data that's being used, all of the documentation, everything. So we are looking at the system as a whole in accordance with systems theory. That's the first point.



Section 6: A Systematic Process



The second point is that it is systematic from a process point of view.



We're following a rigorous process whereby maybe we start with some sort of high-level requirements, and we think about in safety terms what could go wrong. And we think about all of our safety obligations, what we must do. And then we decompose that, break down the problem piece by piece, systematically down to a component level. And then we consider all of the components, and then we systematically integrate it all back together.



And what I'm kind of indicating is the V model, where we start at the top left-hand corner with our requirements. And then from our requirements, we think about, well, how are we going to demonstrate that we've met those requirements at the end of the process? And then we carry on going down the decomposing into more detail but also thinking about how we're going to verify and validate that we've done what we needed to do at every stage when we integrate and come back up the other side.



So that's the systematic part of the process.



Section 7: Requirements and Safety



And then Thirdly, which are kind of hinted up already, is a big thing about requirements.



In systems engineering, we are talking about complex stuff. It's hard to understand. It's not a toaster. It's not a simple commodity item, where we can just go, well, I want a toaster and everybody knows what a toaster does or should do and what it shouldn't do. We want to want it to toast bread and other things, but we don't want it to electrocute people.



You know what a toaster is. You don't need to articulate the requirements of a toaster. But if it's something more complicated, like a ship or a power station or a complex piece of information technology, you want to develop a big software system to do something, then that's very complicated, and you need to consider the requirements in a systematic fashion, starting at the top level, thinking about big picture stuff, what's the system and its boundaries, what does it interact with?  What do we want it to do?



Then we need to go to a lot of effort to rigorously decompose that and come up with requirements, which you then verify and validate at the end of the project – or preferably before to avoid surprises. That's a big part of systems engineering, as we're dealing with complexity, and systems safety evolved to fit in with systems engineering.  It uses all of those concepts, all of those are powerful levers to help us engineer safety into a system rather than just adding it on at the very end.



Section 8: Think Safety from the Start



I guess that's the fourth big point. We start to think about safety right at the beginning, at the top left-hand corner of the V, not just at the end, and then add it on and hope everything will be all right, because that doesn't usually work. And that's a very, usually a very expensive and ineffective way to do things.



So that's another point that system safety engineering. We are engineering safety into the system early because that is a more cost-effective way of doing it.



Summary



To summarise system safety engineering, remember:



- It's systematic in terms of the way we think about the system and all of its parts;



- It's systematic in terms of the process, the way we approach the task and break down the tasks rigorously and put them back together; and



- It borrows from systems engineering and systems theory in the way we consider requirements.



Those three things are system safety engineering. For more on system safety try the FAQ post and the system safety assessment page.



Understanding System Safety Engineering: A Holistic Approach to Ensuring Safety



Did I Miss Anything? Leave a Comment!

#coursesafetyengineering #engineersafety #HolisticSafety #ineedsafety #knowledgeofsafety #learnsafety #needforsafety #riskmanagement #safetyblog #safetydo #safetyengineer #safetyengineerskills #safetyengineertraining #safetyengineeringcourse #SafetyInEngineering #safetyprinciples #softwaresafety #systemsafetyengineering #systemsafetyengineeringandmanagement #systemsafetyengineeringandriskassessment #systemsafetyengineeringtraining #SystemsEngineering #theneedforsafety #what'ssystemsafety #what'ssystemsafetyengineering #whatissystemsafety #whatissystemsafetyengineeringsystemsafetyengineeringcourse

Simon Di Nucci https://www.safetyartisan.com/2023/05/31/understanding-system-safety-engineering-a-holistic-approach-to-ensuring-safety/

Guide to the WHS Act

This Guide to the WHS Act covers many topics of interest to system safety and design safety specialists. The full-length video explains the Federal Australian Work Health and Safety (WHS) Act (latest version, as of 14 Nov 2020). Brought to you by The Safety Artisan: professional, pragmatic, and impartial.



https://youtu.be/Yzkl3vCVYv8

This is the four-minute demo of the full, 44-minute-long video.



buy the full-length video here



Recap: In the Short Video...



... which is here, we looked at:



- The Primary Duty of Care; and



- Duties of Designers.



Topics: Guide to the WHS Act



In this full-length video, we will look at much more…



- § 3, Object ;



- § 4-8, Definitions;



- § 12A, Exclusions;



- § 18, Reasonably Practicable;



- § 19, Primary Duty of Care;



- § 22-26, Duties of Designers, Manufacturers, Importers, Suppliers & those who Install/Construct/Commission;



- § 27, Officers & Due Diligence;



- § 46-49, Consult, Cooperate & Coordinate;



- § 152, Function of the Regulator; and



- § 274-276, WHS Regulations and CoP.



Transcript: Guide to the WHS Act



Click here for the Transcript

Hi everyone and welcome to the Safety Artisan. Where you will find instructional videos like this one with professional, pragmatic and impartial advice which we hope you enjoy. I’m Simon and I’m recording this on the 13th of October 2019. Today we’re going to be talking about the Australian Federal Work Health and Safety Act. I call it an unofficial guide or system or design safety practitioners (whatever you want to call yourselves). I’m looking at the WHS Act from the point of view of system safety and design safety.



 As opposed to managing the workplace although it does that as well. I recorded a short video version of this. In that, we looked at the primary duty of care and the duty of designers. We spent some time looking at that and that video is available. It’s available at safetyartisan.com and you can watch it on YouTube. So just search for safety artisan on YouTube.



Topics



So, in this video, we’re going to look at much more than that. I say selected topics we’re not going to look at everything in the WHS Act. As you can see there are several hundred sections of it. We’ll be here all day. So, what we’re going to look at are things that are relevant to systems safety to design safety. So, we look very briefly at the object of the act, at what it’s trying to achieve. Just one slight of definitions because there’s a lot of exclusions because the Act doesn’t apply to everything in Australia.



 We’re going to look at the Big Three involved. So really the three principles that will help us understand what the act is trying to achieve is:



- what is reasonably practicable. That phrase that I’ve used several times before.



- What is the primary duty of care so that sections 18 and 19. And if we jump to



- Section 27 What are or who are officers and what does due diligence mean in a WHS setting?



So, if I step back to Sections 22 to 26 you know the duties of various people in the supply chain.  We cover that in the short session. So, go ahead and look at that and then moving on. There are requirements for duty holders to consult cooperate and coordinate. Then there's a brief mention of the function of the regulator. And finally, the WHS Act enables WHS regulations and codes of practice. So we’re just mentioned that so those are the topics we’re going to cover quite a lot to get through. So that’s critical.



Disclaimer



So, first, this is a disclaimer from the website from the federal legislation site. It does remind people looking at the site that the information put up there is for the benefit of the public and it’s free of charge.



 So, when you’re looking at this stuff you need to look at the relevance of the material for your purposes. OK, I’m looking at the Web site. It is not a substitute for getting legal or appropriate professional advice relevant to your particular circumstances. So quick disclaimer there. This is just a way a website with general advice. Hence, this video is only as good as the content that’s being presented okay?



The Object of the Act



So, the object of the act, then. I’m quoting from it because I’m using quotation marks, so the main object of the act is to provide a balanced and nationally consistent framework for the health and safety of workers and workplaces.



 And that’s important in Australia because Australia is a federated state. So, we’ve got states and territories and we’ve got the federal government or the Commonwealth as it’s usually known. The laws all those different bodies do not always line up. In fact, sometimes it seems like the state and territories delight in doing things that are different from the Commonwealth. And that’s not particularly helpful if you’re trying to operate in Australia as a corporation. Or if you’re trying to do something big and trying to invest in the country.



 So, the WHS act of a model WHS Act was introduced to try and harmonize all this stuff. And you’ll see some more about that on the website. By the way and I’ve missed out on some objectives. As you can see, I’m not doing one subset B to H go to have a look at it online. But then in Section 2 The reminder is the principle of giving the highest level of protection against harm to workers and other persons as is reasonably practicable. Wonderful phrase again which will come back to okay.



Definitions



 Now there are lots of definitions in the act. And it’s worth having a look at them particularly if you look at the session that I did on system safety concepts. There I was using definitions from the UK standard. Now I did that for a reason because that set of definitions was very well put together. So it was ideal for explaining those fundamental concepts where the concepts in Australia WHS are very different. If you are operating in Australian jurisdiction or you want to sell into an Australian jurisdiction do look at those definitions. Being aware of what the definitions are will actually save you a lot of hassle in the long run.



 Now because we’re interested systems safety practitioners of introducing complex systems into service. I’ve got the definitions here of plant structure and substance. So basically, plant is any machinery equipment appliance container implement or to any component of those things and anything fitted or connected to any of those things. So, they go going for pretty a pretty broad definition. But bearing in mind we’re talking about plants we’re not talking about consumer goods. We’re not talking about selling toasters or electric toothbrushes to people. OK. There’s other legislation that covers consumer goods.



 Then when it comes to structure again, we’ve got anything that is constructed be fixed or movable temporary or permanent. And it might include things on the ground towers and masks underground pipelines infrastructure tunnels and mining any components or parts thereof. Again, a very broad definition and similarly substance any natural or artificial substance in whatever form it might be. So again, very broad and as you might recall from the previous session a lot of the rules for designers’ manufacturers, importers and suppliers cover plant structure and substances. So hence that’s why I picked just those three definitions out of the dozens there.



Exclusions



 It’s worth mentioning briefly exclusions: what the Act does not apply to. So, first, the Act does not apply to commercial ships basically. So, in Australia, the Federal legislation covering the safety of people in the commercial maritime industry is the Occupational Health and Safety Act (Maritime Industry) 1993, which is usually known as “OSHMI” applies to commercial vessels, so WHS does not. And the second exclusion is if you are operating an offshore petroleum or greenhouse gas storage platform and I think it’s more than three nautical miles offshore.



 But don’t take my word for that if you’re in that business go and check with the regulator NOPSEMA then this act the Offshore Petroleum and Greenhouse Gas Storage Act 2006 applies or OPGGS for short. So, if you’re in the offshore oil industry then you’ve got a separate Commonwealth act plot but those are the only two exceptions. So, where Commonwealth law applies the only things that WHS. does not apply to is commercial ships and offshore platforms I mentioned state and territory vs. Commonwealth. All the states and territories have adopted the model WHS system except Victoria which so far seems to be showing no interest in adopting WHS.



 Thanks, Victoria, for that. That’s very helpful! Western Australia is currently in process of consultation to adopt WHS, but they’ve still got their current OH&S legislation. So just note that there are some exclusions there. OK so if you’re in those jurisdictions then WHS does not apply. And of course, there are many other pieces of legislation and regulation that cover particular kinds of risk in Australia. For example, there’s a separate act called ARPANS that covers ionizing a non-ionizing radiation.



There are many other acts that cover safety and environmental things. Let’s go back one when I’m talking about those specific acts. They only apply to specific things whereas WHS act is a general Act applies to everything except those things that it doesn’t like to write move on.



So Far As is Reasonably Practicable



Okay now here we come to one of these three big ticket items and I’ve got two slides here. So, in this definition of reasonably practicable when it comes to ensuring health and safety reasonably practicable means doing what you are reasonably able to do to achieve the high standards of health safety in place.



 Considering and weighing up all the relevant matters; including, say, the first two we need to think about the likelihood of a hazard or risk. How likely is this thing to occur as a potential threat to human health? And what’s the degree of harm that might result from the hazard or risk? We’ve got a likelihood and degree of harm or severity. If we recall the fundamental definition of risk is that it’s though it’s the factor of those two things taken together. So, in this first part, we’re thinking about what is the risk.



 And it’s worth mentioning that hazard is not defined in the Act and risk is very loosely defined. So, the act is being deliberately very broad here. We’re not taking a position on or style of approach to describing risks, so to the second part.



Having thought about the risk now we should consider what the person PCBU or officer, whoever it might be, ought reasonably to know about the hazard or risk and the ways of eliminating or minimizing the risks. So, what we should know about the risk and the ways of dealing with it of mitigating it of controlling and then we’ve got some more detail on these ways of controlling the risk.



 We need to think about the availability and suitability of ways to eliminate or minimize the risk. Now I’m probably going to do a separate session on reasonably practicable because there is a whole guidebook on how to do it. So, we’ll go through that and at some stage in the future and go through that step by step about how you determine availability and suitability et cetera. And so, once you get into it it’s not too difficult. You just need to follow the guidelines which are very clear and very well laid out.



 So having done all of those things, after assessing the extent of the risk and the available ways of controlling it the we can then think about the cost associated with those risk controls and whether the cost of those controls is grossly disproportionate to the risk. As we will see later, in the special session, if the cost is grossly disproportionate to the risk reduction then it’s probably not reasonable to do it. So, you don’t necessarily have to do it but we will step back and just look at the whole thing.



So, in a and b we’re looking at the likelihood and severity of the risk so and we’re (quantifying or qualitatively) assessing the risk. We’re thinking about what we could do about it, how available and suitable are those risk controls, and then putting it all together. How much will it cost to implement those risk controls and how reasonably practicable to do so. So what we have here is basically a risk assessment process that leads us to a decision about which controls we need to implement in order to achieve that ‘reasonably practicable’ statement that you see in so many parts of the act and indeed it’s also in the definition itself.



 So, this is how we determine what is reasonably practicable. We follow a risk assessment process. There is a risk assessment Code of Practice, which I will do a separate session on. It gives you a basic minimum risk assessment process to follow that will enable us to decide what is reasonably practicable. Okay, quite a big topic there. And as I say we’ll come back and do a couple more sessions on how to determine reasonably practical. Let's move on to the primary duty of care we covered in the short session.



The Primary Duty of Care



 So I’m not really going to go through this again but basically our primary duty is to ensure so far as is reasonably practicable the health and safety of workers, whether we’ve engaged them whether we’ve got somebody else to engage them or whether we are influencing or directing people carrying out the work. We have a primary duty of care if we’re doing any of those things. And secondly, it’s worth mentioning that the person conducting a business or undertaking the PCBU must ensure the health and safety of other people. Say, visitors to the workplace are members of the public who happen to be near the workplace.



 And of course, bearing in mind that this law applies to things like trains and aircraft if you have an accident with your moving vehicle or your plant you could put people in danger – in the case of aeroplanes anywhere in Australia and beyond. So, it’s not just about the work, the workers in the workplace. With some systems, you’ve got a very onerous responsibility to protect the public depending on what you’re doing. Now for a little bit more detail that we didn’t have in the short session. When we say we must ensure health and safety we’re talking about the provision and maintenance of a safe work environment or safe plant structures or safe systems of work talking about safe use handling and storage of structures and substances.



 We’re talking about adequate facilities for workers that are talking about the provision of information, training, instruction or supervision. Those workers and finally the health of workers and conditions of the workplace are monitored if need be for the purpose of preventing illness or injury. So, there should be some general monitoring of health and safety-related incidents. And if you’re dealing with certain chemicals or are you intentionally exposing people to certain things you may have to conduct special monitoring looking for contamination or poisoning of those people whatever it may be. So, you’ve got quite a bit of detail there about what it means to carry out the primary duty of care.



 And this is all consistent with the duties that we’ve talked about on designers, manufacturers, importers, and suppliers and for all these things there are codes of practice giving guidance on how to do these things. So, this whole work health and safety system is well thought through, put together, in that the law says you’ve got to do this. And there are regulations and codes of practice giving you more information on how you can fulfil your primary directive and indeed how you must fulfill your primary duty.



 And then finally there’s a slightly unusual part for at the end and this covers the special case where workers need to occupy accommodation under the control of the PCBU in order to get the job done. So you could imagine if you need workers to live somewhere remote and you provided accommodation then there are requirements for the employer to take care of those workers and maintain those premises so that they not exposed to risks.



 That’s a big deal because she might have a remote plant, especially in Australia which is a big place and not very well populated. You might be a long way away from external help. So if you have an emergency on-site you’re going to have to provide everything (not just an emergency you need to do that anyway) but if you’ve got workers living remotely as often happens in Australia you’ve got to look after those workers in a potentially very harsh environment.



And then finally it’s worth mentioning that self-employed persons have got to take care of their own health and safety. Note that a self-employed person is a PCBU, so even self-employed people have a duty of care as a PCBU.



The Three Duties



OK, sections 22 to 26. Take that primary duty of care and elaborate it for designers and manufacturers, importers and suppliers and for those installing constructing or commissioning plant substances and structures. And as we said in the free session all of those roles all of the people BCBS is doing that have three duties they have to ensure safety in a workplace and that includes you know designing and manufacturing the thing and ensuring that it’s safe and meets Australian regulations and obligations.



 We have a duty to test which actually includes doing all the calculations analysis and examination that’s needed to demonstrate safety and then to provide needed information to everybody who might use or come into contact with the system so those three duties apply consistently across the whole supply chain. Now we spent some time talking about that. We’re going to move on OK, so we are halfway through. So, a lot to take in. I hope you’re finding this useful and enjoying this. Let’s move on. Now this is an interesting one.



Officers of the PCBU



Officers of the PCBU have additional duties and an officer of the PCBU might be a company director. That’s explicitly included in the definition. A senior manager somebody who has influence. Offices of the PCBU must exercise due diligence. So basically, the implied relationship is you’ve got a PCBU, you’ve got somebody directing work whether it be design work manufacturing operating a piece of kit whatever it might be. And then there are more senior people who are in turn directing those PCBUs (the officers) so the officers must exercise due diligence to ensure that the PCBUs comply with their duties and obligations.



Sections 2 to 4 cover penalties for offices if they fail. I’m not going to discuss that because as I’ve said elsewhere on the Safety Artisan website, I don’t like threatening people with penalties because I actually think that results in poor behavior, it actually results in people shirking and avoiding their duties rather than embracing them and getting on with it. If you frighten people or tell them what’s going to happen to them, they get it wrong. So, I’m not going to go there. If you’re interested you can look up the penalties for various people, which are clearly laid out. We move on to Section 5.



Due Diligence



 We’re now talking about what is due diligence in the context of health and safety. OK, I need to be precise because the term due diligence appears in other Australian law in various places meaning various things, but here this is the definition of due diligence within the WHS context. So, we’ve got six things to do in order to demonstrate due diligence.



So, officers must acquire and keep up to date with knowledge of work health and safety matters obligations and so forth. Secondly, officers must gain an understanding of the nature of the operations of the piece and risks they control.  So, if you’re a company director you need to know something about what the operation does. You cannot hide behind “I didn’t know” because it’s a legal requirement for you to do it. So that closes off a whole bunch of defenses in court.

#arehealthandsafetypolicieslegallyenforceable #AustralianWHS #Guidance #Guide #healthandsafetyandriskassessment #healthandsafetyandworkact #healthandsafetyhazardsintheworkplace #healthandsafetykeypoints #healthandsafetylegislationisdesignedtoprotect #healthandsafetyvocabularypdf #healthorsafetyissues #howhealthandsafetylawaffectbusiness #howhealthandsafetyrulesaffectyou #riskassessment #riskmanagement #safetytraining #whatarehealthandsafetyguidelines #whathealthandsafetylegislation #WHS #workhealthsafety2011

Simon Di Nucci https://www.safetyartisan.com/2023/04/26/guide-to-whs/

Which Skills Should Humans Learn in an Age of 'AI'?

Which Skills Should Humans Learn in an Age of 'AI'? In my previous article, I looked at the new challenge that faces all who teach online. How do we stop students from using AI to cheat on assessments?



Well, the short answer is: we can't. Not entirely. AI is now good enough at answering questions to pass some quite tough exams, for example, to become a licensed doctor. On many questions of fact, the AI could be generating the entire answer and the student would not be tested at all.



In such cases, we would really be testing students on how good they were at using AI.  This is not a facetious idea. As AI is such a wonderful research assistant, perhaps we should be training students to use it – wisely.



Learning & Writing with AI



We know that AIs don't always give correct answers because the data used to train them is not always correct. So students using this technology need to check the answers. Also, I'm beginning to hear that Google is finding and eliminating AI-generated content from search results. If Google can do that, then plagiarism-checking tools will soon do that too (damn that AI).



So students will need to check their AI's output, perhaps paraphrasing content and changing its style to suit. Ironically there's an AI tool for that too! They may also need to add some personal touches. Google prioritizes E-E-A-T: experience, expertise, authoritativeness, and trustworthiness. Students probably need to do the same.



That said, AI really is a wonderful research assistant. Suppose you feed it your exam question: "Write me an essay about Napolean" and you add "citing sources used". If your chosen AI does so, you might get a reasonable essay, with citations so that you can fact-check and correct it. Doing so will give you a better essay, which you can then make your own. Result: a good essay!



(Please note that Chat GPT-4 will not write you a whole essay, it will only provide the structure and sources.)



Enter Napoleon



Now, you still have to do some work. But without the AI, it would have taken you many hours to discover lots of things about Napoleon. (Remember: we don't know what we don't know.) You could submit a good essay much quicker than without your AI research assistant. Or ...



... you could use the time saved to take it to the next level. Supposing you discover that there are two different schools of thought about Napolean (quite likely about any major subject). You could now instruct the AI to write the same essay but twice - once from each point of view. Using these results, you can compare and contrast them and make your own assessment.



You now have a great essay! Perhaps, more importantly, you've taken your learning, about Napolean and historical analysis, to another level. You used the AI to do the drudgery so you can focus on the clever stuff. Now you have - rapidly - learned some high-level, transferable skills that you can apply to any historical analysis.



Okay, I'm a safety engineer, so I'm not likely to be answering exam questions about Napoleon. I might conceivably be asked to discuss the approaches of, say, Jens Rasmussen versus Erik Hollnagel. Personally, I'd rather not, but understanding different theories on risk and accident causation is relevant to my profession.



Whatever you are doing there's probably an AI for it, in fact, there's a site with over 3,000 AI tools that do all sorts of things. However, this isn't an article on how to do things with AI, so...



Back to the Challenge



The challenge facing online educators is to assess students in a way that tests the student, not the AI. Online education is a multi-billion-dollar business, and AI could undermine the credibility of most qualifications, so this is a critical issue.



I think it's fair to say that we won't all go back to physically sitting exams in a room with strict security (although I did just that to get my CISSP certification). The costs are too great, and we need remote assessment techniques.



This means that universities and other education or training providers will look for assessment strategies that AIs struggle with. This means that - if we want top marks - we will need to be good at things that AIs don't do well.



Are there any things that AI can't do (yet)? If so, what are they?



We Reflect on 'AI'



We have to remind ourselves that 'AI' is not really intelligent. A lot of what is sold as 'AI' is just using statistics to analyze lots of data. I've worked with a statistician, and I was amazed at what she could deduce from a data set. Even human behavior is amenable to statistical analysis. We all like to think that we're original and unique, but we're mostly not. Sorry.



The next level up from statistics is Machine Learning (ML). This is a phrase that represents what's going on much better than 'AI'.



Machine Learning



ML is much more powerful than statistics because it uses a variety of algorithms. These can be much more complex than generic, statistical equations. Specific algorithms are developed to solve specific classes of problems.



Nevertheless, all ML works by training algorithms on a data set. Humans review the results and tweak the algorithms or the data set, or both, to produce better results. Or perhaps we give the machine a goal and it tweaks itself to get there better and/or faster.



ML is so effective because decades of research by the best human minds have gone into developing it. An awful lot of human ingenuity is encoded in those algorithms.



ML itself though works by brute force. Computers are very fast, and they can process vast amounts of data. This data is now easily accessible on the internet, which contains a significant proportion of the vast treasure store of human knowledge. ML isn't intelligent, it just appears to be because it has been trained by vast repetition. It impersonates human intelligence by copying, merely by rote learning.



It's been said that to really be intelligent AI must be able to create something truly original. That article refers to an AI playing the Asian game 'Go' - a game rather like checkers. The AI beat a world champion using a revolutionary strategy that no human is ever taught. However, even with this example, I note that Go is a 2D board game where all the counters are identical in character. Surely, this is a problem that is inherently amenable to being solved by a computer?



But so what?



Well, if we humans want to stay relevant, then we need to do things that machines can't. If we understand what they can and can't do, and get better at the latter, then we add value.



We Reflect to be Different from Machines



In my previous article, I mentioned that Chat GPT-4 struggles to reflect on learning. If we go online and look up the word 'reflect', we get:



embody or represent (something) in a faithful or appropriate way.think deeply or carefully about.(of an action or situation) bring credit or discredit to the relevant parties. Google Search



We have three meanings here, as follows:



- To represent - to portray, describe, or paraphrase, but not copy - something faithfully or appropriately. We are not simply repeating details, but capturing the essence of something.



- To think deeply and carefully - not quickly or superficially.



- To make a value judgment about something, its validity, morality, or desirability.



At this point, my fellow engineers, as well as scientists and mathematicians, might be wondering what this has got to do with them. After all, 2+2=4, and what is there to reflect on? This 'reflection' sounds like something that arts and humanities folk do. OK, perhaps psychologists and business studies too. But us?



I think we do. In terms that might appeal to engineers, etc., let's call it the difference between 'verification' and 'validation'.



Verification versus Validation



Verification asks: "Did we build the thing right?" We can answer that question by testing it, inspecting it, or analyzing it: does it do what it's supposed to? If we can't fully verify the product, perhaps we need some process evidence as well. Did we develop it using a sound process? Does it comply with or conform to applicable standards?



Verification may be complex, but it's mechanistic. In verification, "right" means correct - and only that.



Validation asks: "Did we build the right thing?" In this case, "right" means a whole lot more than just correct.



It means complete: did we do the whole job? Meet the overall need and not just the written specification? It means comprehensible: does it make sense in context? is it usable by those who need to? is it appreciated by those who paid for it, or wanted by those who might pay for it?



It may also mean other things. Does it help? Is it ethical? Sustainable? Valuable to a person, group, or society as a whole?



A thing can be successfully verified yet fail validation, in one or more ways. Becoming skilled at reflecting on the wider implications of what we do can help us all, no matter what our field of endeavor.



We Curate, not Just Collect as Machines Do



One of my hobbies is writing fiction - badly. Again and again, I read that to get better, I must read better. I must read a lot, but not just in quantity; I must read the best quality I can get, the best, most successful authors. Writers should not just read within their chosen genre, either, but they must get out of their comfort zone and read all sorts.



Similarly, I've heard it said that 'the best bands have the best record collections'. The best is not the biggest, but the broadest collection of good-quality music. The aim is not just to collect, but to curate.



This makes sense as we seek to differentiate ourselves from competing machines. Earlier versions of Chat GPT (and other 'AI's) were trained on millions or even billions of web pages. We can't compete with machines on quantity. Referring back to my previous article, I note that Chat GPT-4 is "safer and more aligned" (good validation words) because it was trained on a human-curated data set.



Mere repetition is not going to help us. We need to reflect on a broad range of the best-quality stuff we can find. Looking deeper, and slower, asking those 'validation' questions. Skills like comprehension, summarising, and producing a precis of others' work are valuable (b*gger me, my English Literature teacher was right all along). Drawing what I see, not what I think I see (thanks are also due to my Art teacher). Learning from disciplines other than the ones we practice.



Being a well-rounded person, I guess.



What do You think?

#aremachinelearningandaithesame #aremachinelearningandartificialintelligencethesame #aremachinelearninganddatasciencesame #howmachinelearninganddatasciencerelated #howmachinelearningrelatedtoartificialintelligence #isartificialintelligencedatascience #isartificialintelligenceimportant #whatartificialintelligencedo #whatartificialintelligenceis #whatartificialintelligenceisnot #whatartificialintelligencemeans #whatmachinelearningcanandcannotdo #whatmachinelearningmeans #whatmachinelearningtechniques #whereartificialintelligencecanbeused #whymachinelearningisbetterthanstatistics #whymachinelearningisused #whymachinelearningworks #willartificialintelligenceoutsmartus #willmachinelearningreplacehumans #willmachinelearningreplacejobs

Simon Di Nucci https://www.safetyartisan.com/2023/04/19/which-skills-should-humans-learn-in-an-age-of-ai/

FAQ on System Safety

In this FAQ on System Safety, I share some lessons that will explain the basics right through to more advanced topics!



The system safety concept calls for a risk management strategy based on identification, analysis of hazards and application of remedial controls using a systems-based approach.Harold E. Roland; Brian Moriarty (1990). System Safety Engineering and Management.



In ‘Safety Concepts Part 1’, we look at the meaning of the term “safe”. This fundamental topic provides the foundation for all other safety topics, and it's simple!



In this 45-minute free video, I discuss System Safety Principles, as set out by the US Federal Aviation Authority in their System Safety Handbook. 



In System Safety Programs, we learn how to Design a System Safety Program for any system in any application.



The Common System Safety Questions



To see them click here:

is system safety, system safety is, what’s system safety, what is system safety management, what is system safety assessment, what is a system safety program plan, what is safety system of work, , what’s system safety, which active safety system, why system safety, system safety faa, system safety management, system safety management plan, system safety mil std, system safety methodology, system safety mil-std-882d, system safety mil-std-882e, system safety program plan, system safety process, system safety ppt system safety principles, system safety perspective, system safety precedence, system safety analysis, system safety analysis handbook, system safety analysis techniques, system safety courses, system safety assessment.



System safety is a specialty within system engineering that supports program risk management. ... The goal of System Safety is to optimize safety by the identification of safety related risks, eliminating or controlling them by design and/or procedures, based on acceptable system safety precedence.FAA System Safety Handbook, Chapter 3: Principles of System SafetyDecember 30, 2000



If you don’t find what you want in this FAQ on Risk Management, there are plenty more lessons under Start Here and System Safety Analysis topics. Or just enter ‘system safety’ into the search function at the bottom of any page.

#learnsystemsafety #what'ssystemsafety #what'ssystemsafetyengineering #whatissystemsafety #whatissystemsafetyengineering #whatissystemsafetymanagement

Simon Di Nucci https://www.safetyartisan.com/2021/08/18/faq-on-system-safety/

Foundations of Safety Assessment

In this post on the Foundations of Safety Assessment, I'm going to look at the (few) things that we need to do in every System Safety Program.



Because we don't always need to do everything. We don't always need to throw everything at the problem. Some systems are simpler than others, and they don't need the 'whole nine yards' in order to get a decent result. With that knowledge, we're going to be able to design an analysis program for different applications or for different systems.



As an example, I'm going to use Military Standard 882E (Mil-Std-882E). Under that standard we would use these Tasks:



- Task 201 - Preliminary Hazard Identification;



- Task 202 - Preliminary Hazard Analysis; and



- Task 203 - System Requirements Hazard Analysis.



(You will also find related material in my posts on Safety Analysis Techniques Overview and tailoring your Risk Analysis Program.)



Foundations of Safety Assessment - The Big Picture



I promised you we were going to look at the overview of the sequence.



And I think this is what pulls it all together and explains it powerfully. So the background to this is we've got, an accident or mishap sequence. Whatever you want to call it and we start with causes on the left and causes lead two a hazard, and then a has it can lead to multiple consequences.



Bowtie showing the Foundations of System Safety



That is what the bowtie here is representing. It's showing that multiple causes can lead to a single hazard, and a single hazard can lead to multiple consequences.



Don't worry too much about the bow tie. I'm not pushing that in particular, it's a useful technique, but it's not the only one. We'll come onto that – that's the background.



This is the accident sequence we're trying to discover and understand. I'm going to talk a lot about discovery and understanding.



Preliminary Hazard Identification



Typically, we will start by trying to identify hazards. There are techniques out there that will help us identify hazards associated with the system being used in a specific application, or purpose, in a specific operating environment.



Always bear in mind those three questions about the context, that help us to do this. What's the system? What are we using it for? and in what environment?



And if we change any of those things, then probably the hazards will change. But we start off with preliminary hazard identification, which is intended to identify hazards. There's a big, big arrow pointing at hazards, but also, inevitably, it will identify causes and consequences as well, because it's not always clear. What is the hazard when you start? talking of discovery, we're going to discover some stuff.



We may finally classify what we're talking about later. we're trying to discover hazards. In reality, we're going to discover lots of stuff, but mainly we hope hazards, that's stage one.



System Requirements Hazard Analysis



Now, then we're actually going to step outside of the accident sequence itself. We're going to do some requirements analysis, and the requirements analysis has to come after the PHIA because some safety requirements are driven by the presence of certain hazards.



If you've got a noise hazard somebody's hearing might be affected, then regulations in multiple countries are going to require you to do certain things to monitor the noise. Let's say or monitor the effect that it's having on workers and put in place a program to handle that. The presence of certain hazards will drive certain requirements for safety controls or risk controls.



Then there are the broader requirements. Analysis of what the law requires, what the regulations require, codes of practice, etc. We'll get onto that, and one of the things that requirements analysis is going to do is give us an initial stab of what we've got to have – certain controls because we’re required to. That's a little bit of an aside in terms of the sequence, but it's very, very important.



Preliminary Hazard Analysis



Thirdly, and, fourthly, once we've discovered some hazards, we're going to need to understand what might cause those hazards and therefore how likely is the hazard to exist in particular circumstances, and then also think about the consequences that might arise from a hazard. And once we've explored those, we will be in a position to actually capture the risk.



 Because we will have some view on likelihood. And we would also have some view on the severity of consequences from considering the consequences. We'll come onto that later.



Looking at Controls



Finally, having done all those other things, we will be in a position to take a much more systematic look at controls and say, we've got these causes. We've got these hazards. We've got these potential consequences.  What do I need to do to control this risk and prevent this accident sequence from playing out?



What I need to put in place to interrupt the accident sequence, and I've put the controls. The dashed lines indicate that we've got barriers to that accident sequence, and they are dashed because no control is perfect. (Other than gravity. But of course, if you turn your vehicle upside down, then gravity is working against you, so even gravity isn't foolproof.)



No control is 100% effective. We need to just accept that and deal with that, and understand. There is your overview of the sequence, and I've spent a bit of time talking about that because it is absolutely fundamental to everything you're going to do.



Well, That's a Brief Summary of the Foundations of Safety Assessment



You can see the whole thing in the course bundle here.



If you have any questions then leave a comment, below.

#isriskassessment #riskassess #riskassessmeaning #riskassessment #riskassessment5steps #riskassessmentdefinition #riskassessmentexample #riskassessmentform #riskassessmentformat #riskassessmentmatrix #riskassessmentmeaning #riskassessmentprocess #riskassessmentsteps #riskassessmenttemplate #stepstoriskassessment #whatriskassessment

Simon Di Nucci https://www.safetyartisan.com/2023/04/12/foundations-of-safety-assessment/

FAQ on Risk Management

In this FAQ on Risk Management, I will point you to some lessons where you will get some answers to basic questions.



Lessons on this Topic



Welcome to Risk Management 101, where we’re going to go through these basic concepts of risk management. We’re going to break it down into the constituent parts and then we’re going to build it up again and show you how it’s done.



So what is this risk analysis stuff all about? What is ‘risk’? How do you define or describe it? How do you measure it? In Risk Basics I explain the basic terms.



Risk Analysis Programs – Design a program for any system in any application. You'll be able to:



- Describe fundamental risk concepts;

- Define what a risk analysis program is;

- and much more...



If you don't find what you want in this FAQ on Risk Management, there are plenty more lessons under Start Here and System Safety Analysis topics. Or just enter 'risk' into the search function at the bottom of any page.



The Common Risk Management Questions



Click here to see the most Commonly-asked Questions

why risk management, why risk management is important, why risk management is important in project management, why risk management plan is important, why risk management is important for business, why risk management matters, are risk management, are risk management services, is risk management important, is risk management framework, is risk management effective, can risk management be outsourced, can risk management increase risk, can risk management create value, how can risk management help companies, how can risk management be improved, how can risk management improve performance, how risk management improve organization performance, how risk management works, how risk management help you, how risk management helps, how risk management plans can be monitored, how risk management help us, how risk management add value to a firm, how risk management developed, what risk management do, what risk management means, what risk management is, what risk management is not, where risk management, which risk management certification is best, which risk management principle is best demonstrated, which risk management technique is considered the best, which risk management handling technique is an action, which risk management techniques, who risk management guidelines, who risk management, who risk management framework, who risk management tool, who risk management plan, who risk management strategies, will risk management be automated, how will risk management help you, how will this risk management plan be monitored, risk management will reduce, risk management will

#FAQriskmanagement #howriskismeasured #learnriskanalysis #learnriskmanagement #managedrisk #riskadverse #riskmanagementprocess #risktaking #whatisriskmanagement

Simon Di Nucci https://www.safetyartisan.com/2021/08/11/faq-on-risk-management/