Conceptual Framework for an Effective

Design Culture for Safety Systems

By
William (Bill) L. Mostia, Jr. PE
Fellow
SIS-TECH Solutions, LP.
Conceptual Framework for an Effective
Design Culture for Safety Systems
By
William (Bill) L. Mostia, Jr. PE
Fellow
SIS-TECH Solutions, LP.
Copyright 2012 by W.L. Mostia,
All rights reserved
Origins of the Paper
Credit: Image - http://vividvida.blogspot.com/2011/01/jhaneros-success-
formula.html
So what does a conceptual framework look
like related to culture and how do I get one?
Culture, like many human structures, is fraught
with invisible complexities and non-deterministic
responses which have puzzled psychologist and
anthropologist alike over the years.
Conceptual Framework
Culture, like many human structures, is fraught
with invisible complexities and non-deterministic
responses which have puzzled psychologist and
anthropologist alike over the years.
One approach is to model an individuals culture
similar to an house or building. Where the
supports that hold up the house represent the
principles that supports the conceptual framework.
Principles that people live by can be very
complex but over the years some principles
have on the macro level been simplified or
codified into sets heuristic rules.
Some examples potential support pillars that have
been codified in society are:
1. The Ten Commandments,
2. The Seven Deadly Sins,
3. The Boy Scout Code,
4. Benjamin Franklins 13 Virtues, and
5. Gandhis Seven Deadly Social Sins.
Conceptual Framework
Principles that people live by can be very
complex but over the years some principles
have on the macro level been simplified or
codified into sets heuristic rules.
Some examples potential support pillars that have
been codified in society are:
1. The Ten Commandments,
2. The Seven Deadly Sins,
3. The Boy Scout Code,
4. Benjamin Franklins 13 Virtues, and
5. Gandhis Seven Deadly Social Sins.
To build our conceptual framework model for
our design group, we need some building
blocks in the form of principles for the design
group to live by.
Our model of the cultural conceptual
framework consists of principles (support
pillars) codified into a set of heuristic rules.
Conceptual Framework
To build our conceptual framework model for
our design group, we need some building
blocks in the form of principles for the design
group to live by.
Our model of the cultural conceptual
framework consists of principles (support
pillars) codified into a set of heuristic rules.
1. The Dupont Rule
Dont design anything that you wouldnt bet
your own life or family members on a 24-7
basis. Because that is what you are asking
the people who will operate the process that
the safety system will be installed on to bet
their life on, e.g. That the safety system will
function when needed on 24/7 basis for the
life of your design. If you are not willing,
dont do it.
Heuristic Rules (Principles)
1. The Dupont Rule
Dont design anything that you wouldnt bet
your own life or family members on a 24-7
basis. Because that is what you are asking
the people who will operate the process that
the safety system will be installed on to bet
their life on, e.g. That the safety system will
function when needed on 24/7 basis for the
life of your design. If you are not willing,
dont do it.
It seems that we dont always have time to
do it right the first time but we always seem
have time to do it over (typically on
somebody elses nickel). With safety
systems we do not always have that luxury.
If you dont do it right the first time, will there
be an opportunity to do it over correctly
before the safety system fails?
2. NASA Rule - Do it right the first time,
every time.
It seems that we dont always have time to
do it right the first time but we always seem
have time to do it over (typically on
somebody elses nickel). With safety
systems we do not always have that luxury.
If you dont do it right the first time, will there
be an opportunity to do it over correctly
before the safety system fails?
This is about doing the right thing or making
the right decision, not because its easy,
convenient, or panders to vested interests but
because its ethically correct.
3. Do the Right Thing -
This is about doing the right thing or making
the right decision, not because its easy,
convenient, or panders to vested interests but
because its ethically correct.
4. Three Little Piggy Rule
This rule is based on a metaphor from the childrens
fairy tale where each of the three little pigs built a
house (safety system) to protect themselves from
the big bad wolf (the hazard) One was built of
straw, one of wood, and one of brick with only the
house of brick surviving the wolf.
Ed Marszal once stated it succinctly, When in
doubt, build it stout!
This rule is based on a metaphor from the childrens
fairy tale where each of the three little pigs built a
house (safety system) to protect themselves from
the big bad wolf (the hazard) One was built of
straw, one of wood, and one of brick with only the
house of brick surviving the wolf.
Image Credit: emily @ http://www.bluecoat.gloucs.sch.uk/early-years/pre-school/news/865-blue-coat-pre-school-
newsletter-march-2012
5. KISS
Keep It Simple, Stupid is a design principle
that was articulated by Kelly Johnson (1910-
1990) of Lockheed Skunk Works fame.
Keep It Simple, Stupid is a design principle
that was articulated by Kelly Johnson (1910-
1990) of Lockheed Skunk Works fame.
How do we really do this?
Competency, experience, and
professionalism are the hallmarks and
strengths of this principle.
6. There is no substitute for knowing
what you are doing -
7. FOLLOW THE STANDARDS AND REGULATIONS.
Standards and regulations (company
standards included too) is the minimum state
and not the maximum state. Meeting the
minimum is an important principle but not
does not mean you have designed an
effective safety system.
Standards and regulations (company
standards included too) is the minimum state
and not the maximum state. Meeting the
minimum is an important principle but not
does not mean you have designed an
effective safety system.
This is a matter of selection of instrumentation and
the use of design techniques to design a reliable,
dependable system.
8. Selection of Safety System Technology
Being on the bleeding edge of technology or generally
even on the leading edge increases the risk that the
system will not function properly or as expected.
Being on the bleeding edge of technology or generally
even on the leading edge increases the risk that the
system will not function properly or as expected.
Safety and reliability are interlinked in safety system
design. While you can have a reliable system that is
not safe, you cannot have a safe system that is not
reliable.
Safety system design typically involves a reliance on
statistics, failure distributions, and reliability calculation
models. One should always understand the uncertainties
and limitations of these calculations in the real world.
9. Calculations do not justify or prove
anything
Paul Gruhn once said that Statistics were like spies; if you
torture them enough, theyll tell you anything.
Do not let your tombstone read:
He calculated the corners and cut them with
ease to please till it collapsed one day to his
dismay on judgment day.
If you cant put it in writing that is clear,
concise, and logical, you dont understand it.
10. Compos Mentis (Sound Mind) Rule
A design must include consideration of
lifecycle reliability, how it will be constructed
(constructability), how it will be operated
(operability) and how it will be maintained
(maintainability), tested (testability), and
sustained over the life of the system
(sustainability).
11. Dont Forget the abilities
Reliability, Operability, Maintainability,
Sustainability, Constructability, & Testability
A design must include consideration of
lifecycle reliability, how it will be constructed
(constructability), how it will be operated
(operability) and how it will be maintained
(maintainability), tested (testability), and
sustained over the life of the system
(sustainability).
No team has been successful
without leadership and a design
team is no exception.
12. Leadership
Leadership is not synonymous with supervision or
management, though there are cases where the
leadership comes from supervision or
management but at the atomic (lowest) level, it is
individual based.
Leadership is the single most important determinate
in the day to day organizational/ group climate [5]
and in determining the long term direction,
continuity, and consistency in a design group.
Leadership is not synonymous with supervision or
management, though there are cases where the
leadership comes from supervision or
management but at the atomic (lowest) level, it is
individual based.
13. TANSTAAFL Principle - There Aint No
Such Thing as A Free Lunch
A principle in the project management world, which
illustrates this, is that a project has three design elements
fast, good, or cheap, but you can only achieve two out
of three of these elements.
The model consisted of Bakers Dozen (13)
principles that make up the structure of the
conceptual framework which guides peoples
actions and decisions regarding designing
safety systems.
Conclusions
What are your engineering design
principles?
How do you make critical decisions?
What principles does your safety
system design group use?
The model consisted of Bakers Dozen (13)
principles that make up the structure of the
conceptual framework which guides peoples
actions and decisions regarding designing
safety systems.
What are your engineering design
principles?
How do you make critical decisions?
What principles does your safety
system design group use?
We are proven in use.