Safety and Reliability Engineering

Safety and Reliability are critical requirements and it is getting harder to meet these expectations in light of modern day increases in the complexity of systems in expectations. Fukushima, La Megantic, MH370 disappearance, Deepwater Horizon, Mt. Polley, GM Ignition, Port Mann ice bombs – all were unanticipated by their owners, and all must not happen again. The reliability expectations of many complex systems are so high that component reliability cannot be deterministically analyzed or proven in any component test. Yet the world is moving towards increased connectivity, automation (self-driving cars and unmanned aircraft), and higher expectations of public safety and environmental preservation.

Advanced systems methodologies applied to safety and reliability, overlaid upon the conventional safety and reliability engineering practices, can enable better outcomes. Human factors in the design, testing, certification, and operation of the system must also be carefully considered, as in too many systems this is not considered well-enough, giving rise to safety and reliability issues. While safety and reliability are two distinct disciplines, they are both very cross-functional, cross-disciplinary, and both these disciplines of engineering strongly benefit from the systems approach.