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 An Introduction to Tools and Techniques Minimize

This table summarises some of the Safety Assessment Tools and Techniques available to the safety assessor. Each of these tools has its own advantages and disadvantages and the extent to which these can be used during various phases of the product lifecycle, and the degree to which they can be applied to safety assessments, vary. For a list of Advantages and Limitations of each, see Appendix A to Aircraft System Safety: Military and Civil Aeronautical Applications.

It is extremely important to note that as the complexity of the tool increases so does the degree of training required for the user and/or the need for an experienced evaluation team to conduct the evaluation. On the plus side, the data derived from the more complex methodologies may be more supportable. Unfortunately, the primary disadvantage of such tools is that "trained subject matter experts" may have limited experience in the actual operational environment and, therefore, their evaluations may not be entirely applicable to the certification process.

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 Tools and Techniques Minimize
 NameSorted By Name In Ascending OrderDescription
Critical Incident TechniqueThis is a method of identifying errors and unsafe conditions that contribute to both potential and actual accidents or incidents within a given population by means of a stratified random sample of participant-observers selected from within the population. Operational personnel can collect information on potential or past errors or unsafe conditions. Hazard controls are then developed to minimize the potential error or unsafe condition. This technique can be universally applied in any operational environment. [Tarrents, 1980]
Critical Path AnalysisCritical Path Analysis identifies critical paths in a Program Evaluation graphical network. Simply it is a graph consisting of symbology and nomenclature defining tasks and activities. The critical path in a network is the longest time path between the beginning and end events. This technique is applied in support of large system safety programs, when extensive system safety-related tasks are required.
Damage Modes and Effects AnalysisEvaluates the damage potential as a result of an accident caused by hazards and related failures. Risks can be minimised and their associated hazards eliminated by evaluating damage progression and severity. [Tarrents, 1980]
Deactivation Safety AnalysisThis analysis identifies safety concerns associated with facilities that are decommissioned/closed. The deactivation process involves placing a facility into a safe mode and stable condition that can be monitored if needed. Deactivation may include removal of hazardous materials, chemical contamination, spill cleanup.
Decision analysisDecision analysis is a broad term to describe tools for facilitating, understanding or structuring decision-making processes. The essence of decision analysis is to break down a complicated decision into its component parts or elementary qualities, and in particular to separate clearly the subjective and objective aspects of that decision.

Decision analysis originates in the field of operations research but has links to economics, mathematics, psychology and human factors. A wide range of tools have been developed which utilize a variety of methods such as influence diagrams, decision trees, voting methods, multi-attribute utility methods and so on.
Deductive AnalysisAnalysis which works back from a given event (failure) to identify its causes. It starts from known effects to seek unknown causes. A deductive argument is where the conclusion is implicit in the evidence used to support the argument.
Defect/Failure Reporting Analysis and Corrective Action System (DRACAS/FRACAS)Closed loop data reporting system to aid design; identify actions; and evaluate results.
Dependence Diagrams (DD)Similar to the FTA, but replaces the logic gates by paths to show the relationship of the failures. A dependence diagram analysis is success-oriented, and is conducted from the perspective of which failures must not occur to preclude a defined Failure Condition.

Dependence Diagrams

Each block defines, for example, a failure of a part of a system and the conditions related to it and, where needed, the estimated frequency of occurrence. The blocks are arranged in series or parallel to represent "and" or "or" gates respectively.

Dependence Diagrams

See SAE ARP4761.
Design AppraisalA qualitative appraisal of the integrity and safety of the system design.
Can be used to consider a range of issues, such as:
  • What Happens If?
  • Possibility of Maintenance Induced Failures
  • Suitability/compatibility of Materials
Dynamic Workload ScaleHuman Factors evaluative tool
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