Injury Hazards Conditional Circumstances Legal Responsibilities Guidelines for Safe Products/systems Safety Hierarchy Safe Design Principles Summary

Note:Oral Progress Reports

due on Thursday

Design for Safety

Injury Injury to user, products liability Injury to consumer /society Injury to production worker (e.g.

OSHA) damage to personal property Damage to real property

Hazardsdef – a source of danger which has the potential

to injure people or damage property or the environment

1. Entrapment – pinch, crush2. Contact – heat, sharp edges, electric3. Impact – hammer, robot arm4. Ejection – grinder sparks, saw dust5. Entanglement – hair, clothing6. Noise & Vibration – hearing loss, HAVS

Conditional Circumstances

1) hazard is inherent during normal use

2) hazard originates from a component failure

3) hazard caused by user misuse

4) hazard exists during normal maintenance

5) hazard created by improper maintenance

6) hazard stems from lack of maintenance

Legal ResponsibilitiesLegal ResponsibilitiesProducts Liability - Civil Actions, Products Liability - Civil Actions, Criminal ActionsCriminal Actions

Plaintiffs attorney will try to prove that the company or its Plaintiffs attorney will try to prove that the company or its

employees failed to:employees failed to: perform appropriate analyses.perform appropriate analyses. comply with published standards.comply with published standards. make use of state-of-the-art technology, due to ignorance.make use of state-of-the-art technology, due to ignorance. include reasonable safety features or devices.include reasonable safety features or devices. take into account how the user might misuse the product.take into account how the user might misuse the product. consider hidden dangers that might surprise the user.consider hidden dangers that might surprise the user. consider variations in materials, mfg processes, or effects of consider variations in materials, mfg processes, or effects of

wear.wear. carry out appropriate testing, or interpret results correctly.carry out appropriate testing, or interpret results correctly.

Guidelines for Safe Products/systems

1) Perform appropriate analyses 2) Comply with published standards 3) Use state-of-the-art technology 4) Include reasonable safety features or devices 5) Take into account how the user might misuse the

product6) Consider hidden dangers that might surprise the user7) Consider variations in materials or manufacturing

processes, or effects of wear8) Carry out appropriate testing and interpret results

correctly9) Provide adequate warnings10) Implement superior quality control 11)Document everything

Safety Hierarchy

1) Eliminate the hazard – This is a pro-active approach which recognizes that it is often more effective to just “design-out” the hazard. Redesigning the cover to eliminate access to the moving parts is an example.

2) Protect against the hazard – This is a passive or indirect approach which does not eliminate the hazard, but eliminates the opportunity for the user to come into contact with the hazard. Examples include machine guards, safety interlock switches, light curtains, seat belts, and locked equipment rooms.

3) Warn against the hazard - This does not eliminate the hazard or the opportunity. It is a weak remedy, but in some cases the only effective alternative. Examples include warning labels, passive barriers and alarm systems.

4) Provide training – Provide and require operating training.

5) Provide personal protection – provide the operator or user with protective clothing or protective devices such as safety glasses, non-flammable welding aprons, or rubber gloves to handle chemicals

Safe Design Principles1) Safe-Life– Product is designed to operate for its entire

predicted useful life without breakdown or malfunction. Requires the designers to identify all operating conditions, misuses and abuses of the product, and appropriate maintenance and repair schedules.

2) Fail-Safe – Product is designed such that upon failure of a component, some critical functions are still performed. Failure of the component should be discernible such that the product can be shut down safely. Example includes a boiler feed-water valve failing in the open position

3) Redundant design principle – additional product components or systems take over the principle function of the failed component or system. Examples include multi-engine airplanes, standby electric generators, dual in-line oil filters, and emergency brakes.

Summary

Safety is no accidentanonymous

Safety is no accidentanonymous

Prevent InjuryHazards existHazards may depend on conditionsLegal ResponsibilitiesGuidelines for Safe Products/systemsSafety Hierarchy – maximize our effortsSafe Design Principles