Understanding System Safety Engineering: A Quick Guide

Understanding System Safety Engineering: A Quick Guide, takes you through some key points of this complex subject.



Introduction



System safety engineering plays a crucial role in ensuring the safety of complex systems. In this post, we will explore the fundamental concepts of system safety engineering and its importance in the realm of systems engineering.



System Safety Engineering Explained



System safety engineering, as the name implies, focuses on engineering safety within a systems-engineering context. It involves deliberately integrating safety measures into the framework of complex systems.



Read on, or watch this short video for some pointers:



https://youtu.be/hse2M_ZeDzQ

What is System Safety Engineering?



Key Points of System Safety Engineering



1. Consider the Whole System



In system safety engineering, a holistic approach is essential. It's not just about hardware and technical aspects; it includes software, operating environments, functions, user interactions, and data. This comprehensive view aligns with systems theory, ensuring a thorough safety assessment.



2. A Systematic Process



System safety engineering follows a systematic process. Starting with high-level requirements, it meticulously analyzes potential risks, safety obligations, and components. The V model illustrates this structured approach, emphasizing the importance of verification and validation at every stage.



The Systems Engineering 'V' Model



3. Emphasis on Requirements



Unlike simple commodities like toasters, complex systems require rigorous requirement analysis. System engineers meticulously decompose the system, defining boundaries, interactions, and functionalities. These requirements undergo rigorous validation, minimizing surprises and ensuring safety from the start.



Bowtie showing the Foundations of System Safety



4. Think Safety from the Start



A significant aspect of system safety engineering is the early integration of safety considerations. By addressing safety concerns right from the beginning, potential issues are identified and resolved cost-effectively. This proactive approach enhances the overall safety of the system.



Which way should we go?



Summary



In summary, system safety engineering is characterized by its systematic approach to understanding the entire system, following a structured process, and integrating concepts from systems engineering and systems theory. By focusing on comprehensive requirements and thinking about safety from the start, system safety engineering ensures the safety and reliability of complex systems.



Meet the Author



If you found this helpful, there's more depth in this article, and you can also see System Safety FAQ. There's a low-price introductory course on the System Safety Process - on Udemy (please use this link, otherwise Udemy takes two-thirds of the revenue).

#ComplexSystems #ComplexSystemsSafety #CostEffectiveSafety #EarlyIntegration #EngineeringSafety #HolisticApproach #ProactiveSafety #RequirementsAnalysis #safetyengineering #SafetyValidation #SystemReliability #systemsafety #systemsafetyanalysis #SystematicProcess #SystemsEngineering #VModel

Simon Di Nucci https://www.safetyartisan.com/2023/10/25/understanding-system-safety-engineering-a-quick-guide/

System Safety FAQ

Introduction



In System Safety FAQs I will deal with the most commonly searched-for online queries.  This post is also the basis for the First in a new series of monthly webinars I’m running.  I will also be answering your questions: leave them in the comments at the bottom of this post!



What is System Safety?



“System Safety is the application of engineering and management principles, criteria and techniques to achieve acceptable mishap risk within the constraints of operational effectiveness and suitability, time and cost throughout all phases of the system life cycle.”NASA



This definition from NASA is spot on. System Safety is fundamentally about reducing the risks of mishaps (accidents). The NASA Office of Safety and Mission Assurance website is great for practitioners!



The Systems Engineering 'V' Model



“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”. Wikipedia



This Wikipedia article reminds us that safety risk management is a subset of risk management in general.  It also brings in the concept of a ‘hazard’, which is typical for ‘system safety’ – see my free lesson on basic risk concepts for more information.



Where Does Safety Start?



Safety is an ‘emergent property’, that is it comes about by pulling together many different things.  Only leaders and managers can deliver these things; it doesn’t work if you try to do it from the bottom up.



“Safety undoubtedly starts at the top. The people leading the organization are the ones most responsible for its safety. It's simple.”



Avatarms.com



I would also say that safety begins at the start of the lifecycle with requirements – see my short video about what System Safety is:



https://youtu.be/hse2M_ZeDzQ



Safe System Approach?



“The Safe System approach adopts a holistic view of the road transport system and the interactions between people, vehicles, and the road environment. It recognises that people will always make mistakes and may have road crashes – but those crashes should not result in death or serious injury.”Thinkroadsafety.sa.gov.au



This is a great view of a safe system approach, or strategy, from the world of road safety.  Road networks, their commercial and private users, neighbors, regulators, emergency services, etc., form a very complex distributed system.



Why System Safety?



What are the benefits?



“A customised Safety Management System will help you create an environment where all employees are empowered to identify hazards before they become problems, so your business can stay safe without losing focus on growth, profit or innovation.”Worksafetyhub.com.au



I would add that a systematic approach to safety saves time and money in the long run.



System Safety for The 21st Century



Traditional System Safety has its critics, most famously professors Nancy Leveson and Erik Hollnagel.  They have made various criticisms of system safety – some of which I agree with, and some I most definitely do not.



Leveson has proposed new methods:



- System-Theoretic Accident Model and Processes (STAMP);



- Systems Theoretic Process Analysis (STPA); and



- Causal Analysis using System Theory (CAST) – accident analysis.



Hollnagel has written on a wide variety of safety topics including cognition, organizational robustness, and resilience.  He also coined the terms “Safety I” for traditional safety approaches, and “Safety II” to describe the conceptual approach that he and others have developed.



He designed the Functional Resonance Analysis Method (FRAM). 



“THE FRAM is a method to analyse how work activities take place either retrospectively or prospectively. This is done by analysing work activities in order to produce a model or representation of how work is done.”Functionalresonance.com



I have tried FRAM, and even without any training (which is recommended), I found it tremendously powerful.  FRAM can analyse problems that conventional safety techniques just can’t get to grips with.   



From 'FRAM in a Nutshell' by Mohammad Tishehzan at etn-peter.eu



Others have also introduced the term “Safety III”, but I’m not sure how useful these labels are.  Perhaps we are now on a trajectory of diminishing returns.



System Safety is a Design Parameter



To save us from all this abstract navel-gazing, let’s get back to practical matters.



“Safety-related parameters are control system variables whose incorrect setting immediately increases the risk to the user.”Machinery101.com



Concrete, specific, practical: I love it!  Let’s not forget that we do safety for a reason, and big part of that is to control the machines that make our modern world.  This doesn’t sound very exciting, but automation has enabled huge increases in productivity, wealth, health, quality of life, lifespan and human rights.  Let’s remember that during the current hysteria about Artificial Intelligence (actually Machine Learning).



Safety System of Work



“a safe system of work such as safety procedures. information, supervision, instruction and training on the safe use, handling and storage of machinery, structures, substances and other work tasks. personal protective equipment as required. a system to identify hazards, assess and control risks.”Safework.sa.gov.au



If we think about it, this ties in nicely with the definition of a system used in system safety, e.g.:



“A combination, with defined boundaries, of elements that are used together in a defined operating environment to perform a given task or achieve a specific purpose. The elements may include personnel, procedures, materials, tools, equipment, facilities, services and/or software as appropriate.”UK Defence Standard 00-56/1



System Safety in Engineering



There are a number of ways that we could answer this (implicit) question.  Here’s one from the Office of The Under Secretary Of Defense For Research And Engineering:



“System safety engineering involves planning, identifying, documenting, and mitigating hazards that contribute to mishaps involving defense systems, platforms, or personnel (military and the public). The system safety practice aids in optimizing the safety of a system.”Ac.cto.mil



This definition neatly pulls together activities, hazards and accidents, those impacted and the aim of the whole thing.  Phew!



There’s More!



Webinar



I’m going to be talking about these topics in more depth in a webinar on EventBrite.  There are only 25 tickets, which are worth getting for all the extras!  If you don’t get in, then join my email list to get an invitation.



Questions and Comments?



Please leave them below.



Meet the Author



Harold E. Roland; Brian Moriarty (1990). System Safety Engineering and Management. John Wiley & Sons. ISBN 0471618160.

#doessafetystart #issystemsafety #safesystemapproach #safetysystemtowork #systemsafety #systemsafetyforthe21stcentury #systemsafetyinengineering #systemsafetyisthesystemdesignparameterthat #whatissystemsafety #whatsystemsafety #what’ssystemsafety

Simon Di Nucci https://www.safetyartisan.com/2023/10/07/system-safety-faq/

My CISSP Exam Journey

Here is a video about my CISSP exam journey.



https://youtu.be/zGof2cB9VW8

I've just passed the Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) Exam...



Get the full 'My CISSP Exam Journey' free video here.



I've just passed the Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) Exam, which was significantly updated on 1st May 2021. In this 30-minute video I will cover:



- The official CISSP course and course guide;



- The 8 Domains of CISSP, and how to take stock of your knowledge of them;



- The official practice questions and the Study Guide;



- The CISSP Exam itself; and



- Lessons learned from my journey.



I wish you every success in your CISSP journey: it's tough, but you can do it!



To get a full course on what's new in all eight Domains of the CISSP Exam outline (for FREE!) Click Here.



Transcript: My CISSP Exam Journey



Hi, Everyone,



My name is Simon Di Nucci and I've just passed the new CISSP exam; for those of you who don't know what that is, that's the Certified Information Systems Security professional. It's new because the exams have been around a long time, but the syllabus and the exam itself have undergone a significant change as of the 1st of May this year. I’m probably one of the first people to pass the new exam, which I have to tell you was a great relief because it was really it was a tough exam and it was tough preparing for it.



It was a big mountain to climb. I am very, very relieved to have passed. Now, I hope to share some lessons with you. When I mentioned that I passed on the cybersecurity groups on Facebook and LinkedIn, I got a huge response from people who appreciated how difficult it is to do this and also lots of questions. And whilst I can't talk about the specifics of the exam, that's not allowed, I can share some really useful lessons learned from my journey.



Introduction



So I'm going to be talking about what I did:



- The Official Course, and the Student Guide;



- How I took stock at the start of the revision process;



- How I revised using the practice questions and the Study Guide;



- Something about the exam itself; and



- Lessons learned.



The Official Course



So let's get on with it.  My journey was that two, or three years ago, the firm that I worked for decided that they wanted me to take the CISSP exam in order to improve our credibility when doing cybersecurity and my credibility.



I was sent on a five-day course which was very intense and it was the official book.is the official ISC2 course. And that was several hundred slides a day for five days. It was very intense. And as you can see, the guy that you get with a pretty hefty eight hundred pages of closely packed and high-quality material. I was taught by someone who was clearly a very experienced expert in the field.



It was a good quality course. It cost about $3,700 (Australian). I think that's about $2,500 (US). In terms of the investment, I think it was worth it because it covered a lot of ground and I was very rusty on a lot of this stuff. It was it was a useful ‘crammer’ to get back into this stuff. As I said, 800 pages long. I've done a lot of revising!



Practical Things



Let's put that to one side. The course was very good, but of course, it takes some time out of your schedule to do it. You need the money and the support from your workplace to be able to do that. There are now online courses, which I haven't been on, I can't say how good they are, but they are cheaper and they're spread out. I think you do a day or two per week for a period of several weeks.



And I think that's got to be really good because you're going to have more time to consolidate this huge amount of information in your head. No disrespect to the face-to-face course. It was very good. I think the online courses could be even better and a lot more accessible.  That was the course. Now, I did that in November twenty nineteen and I intended to do some revision and then take the exam probably in early.



In March, April 2020, global events got in the way of that and all the exam centers were closed down. I couldn't do that. Basically, I sort of forgot about it for a period of months. And then at the tail end of 2020, as things began to improve here in Australia at least, we've been very lucky here, exam centers reopened and I thought, well, I really should get back and, you know, try and schedule the exam and do some revision and get on with it.



Exam Preparation



So I did. And starting in the January of this year, I got my management agreement that I would spend one day a week working from home, revising, and that's what I did. Given that I took the exam in the middle of May, that's probably 18 full days of revision going through the material and I needed it. Originally, I was going to take the exam, I think, in early April, but I realized at the end of March that I was not ready and I needed more time.



So I put the exam date back to the middle of May. And it was only after I'd done that that it was announced that the syllabus of the exam was changing quite significantly. That was a, you know, extra work then. And fortunately. They. They brought out the official guide to the new exam, and I realized that quite a lot of material to learn. I went through and for example, there are eight domains in CISSP.



And for example, here's domain number two, asset security. In the pink, I have highlighted all the new things that are in the 1st of May Edition syllabus that were not in the 2018 syllabus.  and I went through all of these things and there are quite a few in almost every domain except the first one. There are significant changes.  I had to do a lot of extra revision because the syllabus had changed, but nevertheless, it was doable.



To get regular updates from The Safety Artisan, Click Here. For more introductory lessons Start Here.

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Simon Di Nucci https://www.safetyartisan.com/2023/09/27/my-cissp-exam-journey/

How to Demonstrate SFARP

In this lesson, I will teach you how to demonstrate SFARP. I've been doing this on complex programs for 20+ years now, both in the UK and Australia. The concept of 'reasonably practicable' is much easier to apply than people think. I've watched a lot of programs over-complicate the process. We just don't have to do that! I have some practical tips for you, not just theory...



The proper phrase, from the Australian WHS Act, is 'how to eliminate or minimize risks so far as is reasonably practicable'. (The Act never uses the acronym SFARP or SFAIRP, but everyone else does.)



Learning Objectives | Topics | Transcript



https://youtu.be/Ud8WHAcY0L4

Demo of How to Demonstrate SFARP.



buy this lesson



This will build upon the post So Far As is Reasonably Practicable, where I shared the guidance from Safe Work Australia.



Learning Objectives: How to Demonstrate SFARP



You will be able to:



- Understand the SFARP concept;



- Understand the various SFARP techniques;



- Apply those techniques, in the correct order, in practice.



- These will allow you to perform most* SFARP demonstrations, confident that you know what you can and can’t do.



*A fully quantitative Cost-Benefit Analysis also requires you to understand and apply the concept of risk tolerability, which is another lesson.



Topics: How to Demonstrate SFARP



- Introduction – Reasonably Practicable;



- How to SFARP with:



- Codes, Standards & Regulations; and



- Controls, or groups of controls.



- Some practical hints on good practice;



- Examples; and



- Source information.



Transcript: How to Demonstrate SFARP



Welcome to the safety artisan, I’m Simon and in this session, I’m going to be talking about SFARP – so far as is reasonably practicable.



This is a very misunderstood topic, but we’re going to be explaining how to demonstrate that risks have been eliminated or minimized so far as is reasonably practicable in accordance with Australian work, health, and safety law.



Topics



 So, we’re going to be talking about how to demonstrate SFARP, in accordance with Australian WHS. The observant among you will notice that I don’t have an Aussie accent.  I wasn’t born here, but I have worked in Australia on safety According to WHS for 10 years.  So I have learned how to do it, and I think importantly, I’ve learned the differences from the way it’s done in the UK.



Because SFARP or ALARP is done in the UK.  Although the legislation is different incidentally have a look at the lesson on Australian WHS for that. But that’s for another session.



Learning Objectives



So our learning objectives for this session at the end of this session, you should understand the SFARP concept and what it’s all about. You should understand the various techniques that are available to you and most importantly of all, you will be able to apply these techniques in the correct order because that’s important in the real world in practice. So those are the three general learning objectives.



Having learned these things, you will be able to perform most SFARP demonstrations confident that you know what you can do and what you can’t do. Perhaps more importantly, also what you should and shouldn’t do.



I say most SFARP demonstrations because to do a fully quantitative cost-benefit analysis, you will also need to understand the concept of risk tolerability and that’s another lesson.  I will go through that in a practical example, but I’m not going to explain risk tolerability today.



Australian WHS



I’m going to go through what 'reasonably practicable' means in Australian WHS because that’s the key to the whole thing.  Then we’re going to look at our various options for determining whether the risk is SFARP or not.



First, we’re going to look at codes of practice, standards, and regulations. In the second part, we’re going to look at how we assess controls or groups of controls to see whether we’ve done enough.



 All the way through, I’m going to be giving you some practical hints and tips on good practice to use and bad practice to avoid – as part of that will cover some examples.  I’ve got one particular example at the end, which you’ll see.  Finally, some brief notes on source information and where you can get more information.



 So that’s what we’re going to cover.



Introduction



Australian WHS legislation requires us, as I think I’ve said before, to eliminate or minimize risks so far as is reasonably practicable.  That’s the origin of the acronym SFARP (you might see it written as SFAIRP), and the core concept of that is reasonably practicable.  And this concept is in the WHS Act, it’s in the Regulations and it’s in the Codes of Practice.



buy this lesson



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!



How to Demonstrate SFARP: Any Questions?

#alarp #alarpvssfairp #demonstrateSFARP #howtoSFARP #learnSFARP #learnSFARPanalysis #reasonablypracticable #reasonablypracticablecaselaw #reasonablypracticabledefinition #reasonablypracticableexample #reasonablypracticablehealthandsafety #reasonablypracticablelegaldefinition #reasonablypracticablemeaning #reasonablypracticablewhs #sfairp #sfairphealthandsafety #sfairpvsalarp #SFARP #SFARPanalysistechnique #SFARPanalysistraining #SFARPanalysistutorial #sfarpsafety #SFARPtechnique #SFARPtraining #SFARPtutorial #SFARPvideo #showSFARP #whatdoesreasonablypracticablemean

Simon Di Nucci https://www.safetyartisan.com/2023/09/13/how-to-show-that-risks-are-sfarp/

CISSP 2021: What's New?

In this course, 'CISSP 2021: What's New?', I look at the significant changes made to the CISSP Official Exam Outline (the course syllabus). You can now get this entire course for free here.



What You Can Learn



- What's new in the CISSP Curriculum, from May 1st, 2021 (next update in 2024)



- There are still Eight Domains – D1, D3 & D7 are still broader in content than others.



- Very small changes (+/-1%) to the weighting of two domains.



- Notable changes to all domains, except D1.



- As of late 2019, some of the changes were Already in Official Course (AOC), i.e. the Student (course) Guide; Study Guide; and Official Practice Tests.



- D2: Resource types and data activities listed (AOC);



- D3: Fourteen designs/solutions listed (50% AOC); and thirteen cryptanalytic attacks listed (some AOC);



- D4: Lists several new network architectures;



- D5: Additions to all existing sub-domains & new 5.6 on authentications systems;



- D6: More detail on security test output and reporting;



- D7: Minor changes to 6/15 sub-domains; and



- D8: More detail added to all sub-domains.



https://youtu.be/-_hDlgfdbc8

This is the Introduction & Foreword to the full three-hour course.



Get the free course



Who is this Course for?



Students wishing to become Certified Information Systems Security Professionals.



Are there any Prerequisites?



I designed this course to help students prepare for the current (2021-2024) version of the CISSP Exam. It does not replace the official ISC2 course materials, but it will help you get the most out of them.



CISSP 2021: What's New?



I've just passed the new version of the CISSP Exam, and I created this Course to help you pass as well!



This course describes the changes to the Certified Information Systems Security Professional Exam Outline. Now, CISSP has been around for quite some time and the previous version of the course syllabus was established in April 2018.  In 2021, ISC2 updated the Exam Outline significantly.  In this course, I'm going to go through all of that material for you and show you what has changed, in detail, to help you with your revision.



Here, I give you an overview of what's changed and how this material has been developed for you.



In the course, we're going to cover all eight domains from 'Security and Risk Management' all the way through to 'Software Development Security.  The CISSP is a very broad course and it covers all sorts of things like physical security and fire prevention right through to some more detailed technical stuff on the workings of the Internet, software development, and security testing as well.



There have been significant changes to all of those domains except one. (There's a small change to number one, as we will see, but it's not huge.) However, Domains 2 to 8 have all gone undergone significant changes.  (Some of those changes were already in the official course material, in the study guide and some were already in the official practice tests; we will cover that too.)



Course Creation



Also, I wanted to let you know what I've done to create this course.



I went on the official five-day course, which cost about $2,500 (US), where we went through hundreds of slides per day.  You get a course guide with it, which is 800-pages long.  There is a lot of good material in there, an awful lot to learn.  In addition, I've also been through the official study guide, which is 1,000 pages and contains quite a lot of material that wasn't in the official course. 



Then there is the CISSP glossary, which is about 50 pages and that's got over 400 definitions in.  (The glossary is not so much use. It seems to be quite out of date to me. There are a lot of definitions that you don't need and quite a few that you do need that are missing.) 



The bibliography lists 50+ references for you to read.  You shouldn't have to read 50+ books and standards!



Just the first two are 1,800 pages long.  So it's an enormous hill to climb without some guidance to help you where to look.  I've included page numbers for the Official Study Guide - where it covers the material we're going to talk about.  However, even the Study Guide doesn't cover everything - as you will see.  So, I've been online and looked up the information to get you started.



Links to CISSP 2021: What's New?



Get the free course



(Learn about my CISSP 2021 Exam Journey here. That course is also FREE.)

#CISSP #cissp10domainslist #CISSP2021 #CISSP2021Exam #cisspbook #cisspbootcamp #cisspcertification #cisspcertificationrequirements #cisspcourse #cisspdomain4notes #cisspdomains #cisspexam #cisspmeaning #cissprequirements #cisspstudyguide #cissptraining #cisspwhatis #cybersecurityframeworkaustralia #cybersecurityqualificationsaustralia #cybersecurityqualificationsonline #Cybersecurity #iscisspexamhard #iscisspmultiplechoice #iscybersecurityindemandinaustralia #whatdoescisspcover #whoiscybersecurityengineer #whycybersecuritycourse

Simon Di Nucci https://www.safetyartisan.com/2023/08/09/cissp-2021-whats-new/

Introduction to Human Factors

In this 40-minute video, 'Introduction to Human Factors', I am very pleased to welcome Peter Benda to The Safety Artisan.



Peter is a colleague and Human Factors specialist, who has 23 years' experience in applying Human Factors to large projects in all kinds of domains. In this session we look at some fundamentals: what does Human Factors engineering aim to achieve? Why do it? And what sort of tools and techniques are useful?



This is The Safety Artisan, so we also discuss some real-world examples of how erroneous human actions can contribute to accidents. (See this post for a fuller example of that.) And, of course, how Human Factors discipline can help to prevent them.



https://youtu.be/FnL4XuLlvoQ

In 'Introduction to Human Factors', Peter explains these vital terms to us!



Topics



- Introducing Peter;



- The Joint Optimization Of Human-Machine Systems;



- So why do it (HF)?



- Introduction to Human Factors;



- Definitions of Human Factors;



- The Long Arm of Human Factors;



- What is Human Factors Integration? and



- More HF sessions to come...



Introduction to Human Factors: Transcript



Introduction



Simon:  Hello, everyone, and welcome to the Safety Artisan: Home of Safety Engineering Training. I'm Simon and I'm your host, as always. But today we are going to be joined by a guest, a Human Factors specialist, a colleague, and a friend of mine called Peter Benda. Now, Peter started as one of us, an ordinary engineer, but unusually, perhaps for an engineer, he decided he didn't like engineering without people in it. He liked the social aspects and the human aspects and so he began to specialize in that area. And today, after twenty-three years in the business, and first degree and a master's degree in engineering with a Human Factors speciality. He's going to join us and share his expertise with us.



So that's how you got into it then, Peter. For those of us who aren't really familiar with Human Factors, how would you describe it to a beginner?



Peter:   Well, I would say it's The Joint Optimization Of Human-Machine Systems. So it's really focusing on designing systems, perhaps help holistically would be a term that could be used, where we're looking at optimizing the human element as well as the machine element. And the interaction between the two. So that's really the key to Human Factors. And, of course, there are many dimensions from there; environmental, organizational, job factors, human and individual characteristics. All of these influence behaviour at work and health and safety. Another way to think about it is the application of scientific information concerning humans to the design of systems. Systems are for human use, which I think most systems are.



Simon:  Indeed. Otherwise, why would humans build them?



Peter:   That's right. Generally speaking, sure.



Simon:  So, given that this is a thing that people do then. Perhaps we're not so good at including the human unless we think about it specifically?



Peter:   I think that's fairly accurate. I would say that if you look across industries, and industries are perhaps better at integrating Human Factors, considerations or Human Factors into the design lifecycle, that they have had to do so because of the accidents that have occurred in the past. You could probably say this about safety engineering as well, right?



Simon:  And this is true, yes.



Peter:   In a sense, you do it because you have to because the implications of not doing it are quite significant. However, I would say the upshot, if you look at some of the evidence –and you see this also across software design and non-safety critical industries or systems –that taking into account human considerations early in the design process typically ends up in better system performance. You might have more usable systems, for example. Apple would be an example of a company that puts a lot of focus into human-computer interaction and optimizing the interface between humans and their technologies and ensuring that you can walk up and use it fairly easily. Now as time goes on, one can argue how out how well Apple is doing something like that, but they were certainly very well known for taking that approach.



Simon:  And reaped the benefits accordingly and became, I think, they were the world's number one company for a while.



Peter:   That's right. That's right.



Simon:  So, thinking about the, “So why do it?” What is one of the benefits of doing Human Factors well?



Peter:   Multiple benefits, I would say. Clearly, safety and safety-critical systems, like health and safety; Performance, so system performance; Efficiency and so forth. Job satisfaction and that has repercussions that go back into, broadly speaking, that society. If you have meaningful work that has other repercussions and that's sort of the angle I originally came into all of this from. But, you know, you could be looking at just the safety and efficiency aspects.



Simon:  You mentioned meaningful work: is that what attracted you to it?



Peter:   Absolutely. Absolutely. Yes. Yes, like I said I had a keen interest in the sociology of work and looking at work organization. Then, for my master's degree, I looked at lean production, which is the Toyota approach to producing vehicles. I looked at multiskilled teams and multiskilling and job satisfaction. Then looking at stress indicators and so forth versus mass production systems. So that's really the angle I came into this. If you look at it, mass production lines where a person is doing the same job over and over, it’s quite repetitive and very narrow, versus the more Japanese style lean production. There are certainly repercussions, both socially and individually, from a psychological health perspective.



Simon:  So, you get happy workers and more contented workers -



Peter:   – And better quality, yeah.



Simon:  And again, you mentioned Toyota. Another giant company that's presumably grown partly through applying these principles.



Peter:   Well, they’re famous for quality, aren't they? Famous for reliable, high-quality cars that go on forever. I mean, when I moved from Canada to Australia, Toyota has a very, very strong history here with the Land Cruiser, and the high locks, and so forth.



Simon:  All very well-known brands here. Household names.



Peter:   Are known to be bombproof and can outlast any other vehicle. And the lean production system certainly has, I would say, quite a bit of responsibility for the production of these high-quality cars.



Simon:  So, we've spoken about how you got into it and “What is it?” and “Why do it?” I suppose, as we've said, what it is in very general terms but I suspect a lot of people listening will want to know to define what it is, what Human Factors is, based on doing it. On how you do it. It's a long, long time since I did my Human Factors training. Just one module in my masters, so could you take me through what Human Factors involves these days in broad terms.



Peter:   Sure, I actually have a few slides that might be useful –  



Simon:  – Oh terrific! –



Peter:   – maybe I should present that. So, let me see how well I can share this. And of course, sometimes the problem is I'll make sure that – maybe screen two is the best way to share it. Can you see that OK?



Simon:  Yeah, that's great...



(See the video for the full content)



Introduction to Human Factors: Leave a Comment!

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Simon Di Nucci https://www.safetyartisan.com/2023/08/02/introduction-to-human-factors/

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.



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