Difficulties in Establishing Safeguards

DIFFICULTIES IN ESTABLISHING SAFEGUARDS:

Difficulties in establishing Safeguards:

·        Incomplete knowledge of the engineering subject

·        Refusal to face hard questions caused by lack of knowledge

·        False sense of security

·        e.g. Nuclear waste disposal problem

·        Caution in stating probabilities of rare events

·        Varying understanding of risk based on presentation of facts

·        Risk assessments based on incorrect/unacceptable assumptions/data

·        Only a few persons/groups participate in the exercise

·        Some of the ways by which engineers may try to reduce risks.

·        In all the areas of works, engineers should give top priority for product safety.

·        They should believe that accidents are caused by dangerous conditions that can be corrected. Negligence and operator errors are not the principal causes of accidents.

·        If a product is made safe, the initial costs need not be high if safety is built into a product from the beginning. It is the design changes done at a later date that are costly. Even then life cycle costs can be made lower for the redesigned or retrofitted product (for safety).

·        If safety is not built into the original design, people can be hurt during testing stage itself.

·        They should get out of the thinking that warnings about hazards are adequate and that insurance coverage is cheaper than planning for safety.

·        All it takes to make a product safe is to have different perspective on the

design problem with emphasis on safety.

·        Examples of Improved Safety

·        Magnetic door catch introduced on refrigerators

·        Prevent death by asphyxiation of children accidentally trapped inside

·        The catch now permits the door to opened from inside easily

·        Cheaper than older types of latches

·        Dead-man Handle for Drivers in trains

·        Semaphore signalling

·        Volkswagen's car safety belt

·        Attachment on the door so that belt automatically goes in place on Entry