Mr. Christian S.

Sol
Accredited DOLE-OSH Safety Consultant
Accredited DENR Pollution Control Officer
PEOPLE, TOOLS, &
ENVIRONMENT are joined
together to perform a TASK.

SYSTEMS are TASK-ORIENTED;

they DO something.
In any SYSTEM, there are inter-
actions between PARTS.

Example:
A fisherman uses tackle & boat on a lake
to have fun.
A man drives a truck along a road to
deliver goods.
A man uses metal & a press in a shop to
make costume jewelry.
Keep in mind that a SYSTEM
is defined in terms of a TASK
or FUNCTION (it is task-
oriented), & that the
COMPONENTS of a system
are inter-related, i.e., each
part affects the others.
The COMPONENTS of a SYSTEM can
cover a wide range including
MACHINES/EQUIPMENT, TOOLS,
MATERIAL (i.e., hardware,
chemicals, etc.), ENVIRONMENT
FACTORS, PEOPLE, DOCUMENTS
(such as operating instructions,
training manuals, or computer
programs), and so on.
As part of the SYSTEM, the COMPONENTS
usually complement each other but it is
essential to recognize that a failure or
malfunction of any component can affect
the other components and thus degrade
the performance of the task.

The ENVIRONMENT is an important

consideration in a system since most
systems will perform their task properly
only under a given set of conditions.
A necessary pre-requisite with the
study of SYSTEM SAFETY is a
working knowledge of the principles
of the following safety activities:
 JOB HAZARD ANALYSIS (JHA); and
 HAZARD OPERABILITY (HAZOP)
STUDY.
 SYSTEM SAFETY TECHNIQUES have
primarily emanated from the aviation
or aerospace industries, where the
over-riding concern is for the
COMPLETE SYSTEM TO WORK as it has
been designed, so that no one
becomes injured as a result of
MALFUNCTION.
 Therefore, SYSTEM SAFETY
TECHNIQUES may be applied in order
to eliminate any machinery
MALFUNCTIONS or MISTAKES in the
design that could have serious
consequences.
Thus – there is a need TO ANALYZE
critically the COMPLETE SYSTEM in order
to anticipate RISKS, & estimate the
maximum potential LOSS associated with
such risks, should they not be effectively
controlled. The principle of system safety
founded on PRE-PLANNING and
organization of ACTIONS is designed to
conserve all RESOURCES associated with
the SYSTEM under review.
1. The pre-accident IDENTIFICATION of
potential hazards;

2. The timely INCORPORATION of

effective safety-related DESIGN &
OPERATIONAL specification, provisions
& criteria;
3. The EVALUATION of DESIGN &
PROCEDURES for compliance with
applicable safety requirements &
criteria;

4. The continued SURVEILLANCE over all

safety aspects throughout the TOTAL
LIFE-SPAN (including disposal of the
system).
Note: SYSTEM SAFETY – therefore can be
seen to be an ordered monitoring
program of the system from a safety
viewpoint.
 ACCIDENTS degrade or stop task
performance when they:
o injure PEOPLE,
o damage TOOLS & EQUIPMENT, or
o damage the ENVIRONMENT.
 A serious ACCIDENT could destroy the
system, such as by burning down the
building.
ACCIDENTS result from deficiencies in
PEOPLE, in TOOLS, & in ENVIRONMENT
(most accidents have deficiencies in all
three). And sometimes deficiencies in the
JOB/TASK or OBJECTIVE. But more
importantly, ACCIDENTS results from the
inter-actions like:
An over-tired young machine operator
trying to operate a fast-closing press,
while his mind is focused on his sick son
at home. His hand contacts a moving
part of his machine.
Possible ERRORS include:

• MECHANICAL/EQUIPMENT FAILURE
• DEFECTIVE MATERIALS
• ELECTRICAL FAILURE
• ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS
• HUMAN FAILURE: curiosity,
distraction, fatigue, indolence, worry,
anger, illness, chance-taking,
improper attitude, lack of skill, poor
physical condition, intoxication.
 The SYSTEM UNDER REVIEW – is
the SUM TOTAL OF ALL
COMPONENTS together within a
GIVEN ENVIRONMENT, to achieve
a GIVEN PURPOSE OR MISSION
within a GIVEN TIME over a
GIVEN LIFE-SPAN.
 The ELEMENTS (or COMPONENT
PARTS) within a SYSTEM will
include:

1. MANPOWER
2. MATERIALS
3. MACHINERY/EQUIPMENT/TOOLS
4. METHODS/PROCEDURES (Work
Instruction or SOP) and
5. WORK ENVIRONMENT
 Each SYSTEM will have a series of
phases, which follow a
CHRONOLOGICAL PATTERN; the
sum total of which will equate to
the OVERALL LIFE-SPAN of the
system.
 The System Phase:
1. CONCEPTUAL PHASE
2. DESIGN & ENGINEERING PHASE
3. OPERATIONAL PHASE
4. DISPOSAL PHASE
1
THE CONCEPTUAL PHASE considers the
BASIC PRINCIPLES of the system and
formulates the preliminary DESIGNS &
METHODS of operation.
• It is at this stage that HAZARD &
OPERABILITY (HAZOP) STUDIES
should be undertaken.
2
THE DESIGN & ENGINEERING PHASE
develops the basic idea from the conceptual
phase & augments them to enable
translation into practical equipment &
procedures. This phase should include
testing & analysis of the various
components to ensure compliance with
various system specifications.
• It is at this stage that JOB HAZARD
ANALYSIS (JHA) should be undertaken.
3
THE OPERATIONAL PHASE involves the
bringing together of the various
COMPONENTS (i.e., manpower, materials,
machinery, methods) in order to achieve
the purpose of the system.
 It is at this stage that SAFE SYSTEMS
OF WORK should be developed and
communicated.
4
THE DISPOSAL PHASE begins when
MACHINERY & MANPOWER are no longer
needed to achieve purpose of the system.
 ALL COMPONENTS must be efficiently
DISPOSED OF, TRANSFERRED, RE-
LOCATED OR PLACED INTO STORAGE.
Examples of SYSTEM SAFETY ANALYSIS
includes:

1. ROUTINE HAZARDS SPOTTING

2. JOB HAZARD ANALYSIS

3. HAZARD & OPERABILITY STUDIES

4. DESIGN SAFETY ANALYSIS

5. FAULT – TREE ANALYSIS

6. SIMULATION EXERCISES USING A

 SYSTEM SAFETY ENGINEERING has been
defined as an element of systems engineering
involving the APPLICATION OF SCIENTIFIC &
ENGINEERING PRINCIPLES for the timely
identification of hazards & initiation of those
actions necessary to prevent or control
hazards within the system.
 It draws upon professional knowledge &
specialized skills in the mathematical, physical
& related scientific disciplines, together with
the principles & methods of engineering design
& analysis to specify, predict & evaluate the
safety of the system.
1 SYSTEM SAFETY MANAGEMENT
Provides the framework wherein the findings &
recommendations resulting from the application of
system safety analysis techniques can effectively
reviewed & implemented.

2 SYSTEM SAFETY ANALYSIS

Employ the three basic elements of identification,
evaluation & communication to facilitate the
establishment of cause.
SYSTEM SAFETY ANALYSIS provides:
• The loss identification
• Evaluation & communication factor
• Inter-actions within a given system
which could cause inadvertent injury,
death or material damage during any
phase or activity associated with
given systems life-cycle.
1. HAZARD & OPERABILITY STUDY (HAZOPS)
HAZOPS, has been used and developed over
approximately four decades for “identifying potential
hazards and operability problems” caused by
'deviations from the design intent' of both new and
existing process plants.
2. TECHNIQUE OF OPERATION REVIEW
This ANALYTICAL TECHNIQUE OR TRACING SYSTEM
directs system designer & managers to examine the
underlying & contributory factor that combine
together to cause a failure of the system. It is
associated with the theory of MULTI-CAUSALITY of
accidents.
3. GROSS HAZARD ANALYSIS:
This is done early in the design stage, & would be a
part of a “HAZOP” (hazard & operability) study. It is
the initial step in the system safety analysis & it
considers the total system.
4. CLASSIFICATION OF RISKS:
This analysis involves the identification & evaluation
of risks by type & impact (i.e., maximum potential
loss on the company). A further analysis (Risk
Ranking) may then be undertaken.
5. RISK RANKING:
A rank ordering of the identified & evaluated risk is
drawn up, ranging from the most critical down to the
least critical. This then enable priorities to be set &
resources to be allocated.
6. FAILURE MODE & EFFECT:
The KINDS OF FAILURES that could happen are
examined, and their effects (in terms of maximum
potential loss) are evaluated. Again this analysis
would form part of an overall HAZOP study.
In the FAILURE MODE & EFFECT METHOD, failure or
malfunction of each component is considered
including the mode of failure (such as, switch
jammed “on”), the effects of the failure are traced
through the system, and the ultimate effect on the
task performance is evaluated.
FAILURE MODE & EFFECT ANALYSIS is
straightforward assuming that the analysis is
thoroughly informed about the system. One
drawback of this method, however, is that it
considers only one failure at a time and thus, some
possibilities may be overlooked.
7. FAULT TREE ANALYSIS: is an analytical technique
that is used to trace the chronological progression of
factors contributing to the accident situation, and
useful not only for the system safety, but also in
accident investigation. Again the principle of multi-
causality is utilized in this type of analysis.
In the fault tree method, an undesired event is
selected, and all the possible happenings that can
contribute to the event are diagrammed in the form of
a tree. The branches of the tree are continued until
independent events are reached.
Probabilities are determined for the independent
events and after simplifying the tree, both the
probability of the undesired event and the most likely
chain of events leading up to it can be computed.
This is a very powerful analysis technique but has the
drawback of requiring a fairly heavy mathematical
background and a good computer to obtain the
maximum benefits of the method.