The Real Product Safety Guide: Reducing the Risk of Product Safety Alerts and Recalls

THE REAL PRODUCT

SAFETY GUIDE

Reducing the Risk of Product Safety

Alerts and Recalls

David L Davis

AuthorHouse™ UK Ltd.

1663 Liberty Drive

Bloomington, IN 47403 USA

www.authorhouse.co.uk

Phone: 0800.197.4150

© 2013 by David L Davis. All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system,

or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.

Published by AuthorHouse 08/21/2013

ISBN: 978-1-4918-7503-2 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4918-7531-5 (e)

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Contents

Preface

Definitions and Abbreviations

Introduction

Chapter 1 The Law

Chapter 2 Safety Awareness

Chapter 3 A Step by Step Guide to Real Safety

Chapter 4 Design Teams (Work Package Area)

Chapter 5 Hazard Operability Studies (HAZOP)

Chapter 6 Audit Reports

Chapter 7 Responsibilities for Hazard Analysis

Chapter 8 Human Factors Engineering (HFE)

Chapter 9 Safety Integrity Levels

Chapter 10 CE Marking

Chapter 11 Conclusions and Consolidation

Preface

The information in this guide will provide both large and small companies with a detailed process for ensuring that their products are inherently safe and compliant with the guidelines specified in The British Health and Safety Act of 1974.The Australian Health and Safety Act 1991.The United States Military Standard 882 and the Human Factors Engineering Standard 1472.

Everyone in business should ask themselves this question ‘Would our current documentation covering our products, processes, or procedures stand up to close safety scrutiny with regard to providing documented proof and evidence of Hazard Analysis and Acceptable Risk?’

Definitions and Abbreviations

Introduction

There is no such thing as one hundred percent safety because whatever action or procedure we undertake there will always be a risk. This may be caused by the interaction with a component or something else.

The things we come into contact with in life all have different forms of hazards associated to them, they could be such things as electricity, chemicals, radiation, heat, lasers, pressure, cold, water, height, food, the list is endless and I am sure the reader could easily add to this list. We cannot always remove these hazards completely from our surroundings however what we can do is reduce the chances of anyone coming to any harm.

This can be achieved by identifying all of the hazards present within a system or process and taking the necessary precautions to reduce the risk(s). If we take electricity as an example we know that the power in our home could kill if we were to receive an electric shock, so we are protected by isolation and insulation from the dangers, thus reducing the risk.

This guide explains the methodology used to achieve safety by the use of Hazard Analysis and Risk Assessment.

Every organisation requires a structured process that involves all members of its staff and culminates in a safety system second to none which results in what is commonly termed as a Safety Culture.

Many of our organisations do not have a comprehensive Safety Culture, which has led to many disasters that could have been prevented. We will continue to see regular disasters and nothing will change unless companies have an actual commitment to make safety the major priority by implementation and not just by words.

Chapter 1

The Law

The Health and Safety Act of 1974 is the foundation of Health and Safety in the United Kingdom, however the way organisations and agencies implement the act varies. Companies and businesses should have a member of staff who is responsible for ensuring their organisation complies with the Health and Safety law.

Health and Safety regulations are extensive and are frequently updated and amended and anyone who fails to keep abreast of the latest regulations risks a heavy fine or even a prison sentence if it is found that an accident was due to a neglect of safety law.

The penalties for failing to comply with safety are to be tightened and when introduced will make company directors more accountable and in extreme cases liable to be charged with corporate manslaughter which could result in imprisonment.