TBD

Abstract

There is a bit of an email “round table” circulating amongst several of the “grey beards” of the International System Safety Society that everyone might be interested in. The general topic of discussion has to do with, “Why isn’t system safety more effective?” I hope this discussion is going to turn into a paper or presentation by someone other than myself, so I don’t want to interfere with that process. However, the topic has struck a few chords with me that might be of interest to you. So far, there are at least three points of view or theories as to why system safety isn’t more important or desired:

• Safety is seen as “an expense” — Corporations are focused on profits. It’s a given that accidents reduce profits, and that system safety reduces accidents. Therefore, industry leaders must not understand the costs associated with uncontrolled risks, because if they did, they would put more effort toward system safety.
• The “right” people are not informed — Industries have a way of making big commitments, pledges and changes after a well-publicized event has occurred. We spend a lot of time and effort attempting to warn our customers/employers about the risks of these kinds of newsworthy events, but if we do it by talking to those in system safety, we are mostly just “preaching to the choir.”
• The concept of system safety isn’t being “sold” properly — We do not do a good enough job of selling our ability to add value to the project or team. We need to promote our profession as a value-added service, not just a risk reduction activity.