[SystemSafety] Who applies risk acceptance principles - Part 2

[RICQUE Bertrand (SAGEM DEFENSE SECURITE)]

Here is what is curretly being discussed

START QUOTE

5 Achieving tolerable risk
5.1 Iterative process of risk assessment
The critical issue the standards writers must address as a product (process or service) goes through the
supply chain from development to the user (consumer) is to determine whether the iterative process of risk
assessment is assumed by:
 the standard writing committee for specific and known hazards,
 the standard reader/user for hazards to be identified by him/her, or
 a government or regulatory body.
5.2 Tolerable risk
5.2.1 Safety is achieved by reducing risk to a tolerable level — defined in this Guide as tolerable risk (see
Figure 1). Tolerable risk is determined by the search for an optimal balance between the ideal of absolute
safety and the demands to be met by a product, process or service, and factors such as benefit to the user,
suitability for purpose, cost effectiveness, and conventions of the society concerned. It follows that there is a
need to review the tolerable level, in particular when developments, both in technology and in knowledge, can
lead to economically feasible improvements to attain the minimum risk compatible with the use of a product,
process or service.
NOTE The concept of safety and reducing risk to a tolerable level varies significantly depending on whether the
product is used in the workplace or by a consumer in the home. Whereas it is possible to control risks to a greater extent
in the workplace through occupational training, protective procedures and equipment that workers are obligated to follow
and use, this might not be taken into account in the home environment.
5.2.2 Safety is dealt with in standards work in many different forms across a wide range of technologies and
for most products, processes and services. The increasing complexity of products, processes and services
entering the market requires that the consideration of safety aspects be given a high priority.
 END OF QUOTE

Bertrand RICQUE
Program Manager, Optronics and Defense Division
 
T +33 (0)1 58 11 96 82
M +33 (0)6 87 47 84 64
23 avenue Carnot 
91300 MASSY - FRANCE 
http://www.sagem-ds.com

 


-----Original Message-----
From: systemsafety-bounces at techfak.uni-bielefeld.de [mailto:systemsafety-bounces at techfak.uni-bielefeld.de] On Behalf Of Peter Bernard Ladkin
Sent: Thursday, September 20, 2012 11:41 AM
To: systemsafety at techfak.uni-bielefeld.de
Subject: Re: [SystemSafety] Who applies risk acceptance principles - Part 2

Hi Myriam,

thanks for the update.

The 1999 ISO Guide 51 on safety aspects in standards says that standards shall incorporate certain 
processes which it calls cumulatively "risk assessment". This consists of
* defining intended use and reasonably foreseeable misuse
* identifying hazards
* estimating risk
all of which is called "risk analysis". Risk analysis together with the subsequence step
* evaluating risk
is called "risk assessment". After risk assessment, one asks
* whether tolerable risk is achieved
If so, one is done. If not, one is to perform
*risk reduction
and start again at the top.

Guide 51 is currently being modified and I don't know what is in the new version. I suspect it may 
lose its commendable simplicity.

Now, there is nothing in the above which suggests that deriving risk acceptance principles is a 
practice which must appear in a safety standard. Obviously, in deciding whether tolerable risk is 
achieved, one must either apply a set of principles or decide ad hoc. I suspect most people would go 
for principles in the abstract but probably go ad hoc (that is, "what my boss tells me I have to 
do") in practice.

It seems to me like a good idea it would be required that the decision method for "tolerable risk" 
be made explicit. That is, in your terms, that risk acceptance principles were to be explicitly defined.

PBL

-- 
Prof. Peter Bernard Ladkin, Faculty of Technology, University of Bielefeld, 33594 Bielefeld, Germany
Tel+msg +49 (0)521 880 7319  www.rvs.uni-bielefeld.de




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