Let me interject a bit here. In the introduction the "System Safety Analysis Handbook", published by the System Safety Society (http://www.system-safety.org/), it identifies a hazard control precedence for not only minimizing risk due to the hazard itself, but also to minimize the chances of people bypassing or ignoring the very controls intended to keep them uninjured or alive. It goes like this: 1. Design to eliminate hazardous condition 2. Design for minimum risk 3. Design in safety devices (e.g., interlocks, guards) 4. Design separate warning devices (e.g., lights, audibles, signs) 5. Develop operating procedures and train personnel 6. Develop administrative rules 7. Management decision to accept the risk If the first cannot be met then the second is attempted and so on down the line. There may be cases of multiple levels of precedence of control (e.g., minimum risk design with guards, lights, audibles, signs; and training procedures and manuals that include warnings. Never ever rely only on procedural controls when there is any other method of hazard control. There are many examples beyond those given here that indicate you can't expect everyone to protect themselves. Product manufacturers have no control of the last two in the workplace. Administrative rules are developed by the customer. This is not a shot at management but is a general statement. Those that are in a position to accept the risk are, generally, not those that are exposed to the risk. It makes it easier for one to accept something to which they are not exposed. The only management control we have is to not market the product if we feel it has excessive risk. This hierarchy is opposite to that which some initially propose; "tell them not to do it" or ". . . put a warning label on it." The problem is that to do the top things on the precedence requires the safety people to get involved very early in the development. That often does not happen. Some times the safety department is handed a finished product and told to get it certified/approved. I don't want to sound sarcastic here but I think that the statement: "But if the product is being sold to the general public, remember the customer base can have as much as -2 full deviations (that's minus two) from the mean IQ of the population." is a bit optimistic in saying that it "can have" and "-2". I would suggest it does have and the value is greater that -2. Oscar I would recommend the referenced handbook to any who are involved in the art of hazard analysis and evaluation. For the price it is a gold mine of information from many government agencies and corporations both national and international. It comes in a 500+ page loose leaf notebook or on CD. I do not derive any royalties nor does any organization in which I am affiliated with derive any royalties from this product. It's just a good resource. ********************************************************************************************* * Any comments and opinions stated here are my own and * * not of my employer. Any hypothetical statements or * * situations are exactly that and are not representative * * of my current or past employer(s). * ********************************************************************************************* "Doug McKean" <dmckean%[email protected]> on 06/21/2001 12:28:55 PM Please respond to "Doug McKean" <dmckean%[email protected]> To: "EMC-PSTC Discussion Group" <emc-pstc%[email protected]> cc: (bcc: Oscar Overton/Lex/Lexmark) Subject: Safety in General ... Tania Grant wrote: > > Doug, > > If I understand you correctly, you are referring to the remaining connector > (or pins or traces) in the equipment which is still under power. Yes. > O.K., let me tell you what UL and CSA made me do with equipment that > is NOT user accessible, but only accessible to trained service personnel. Yes. This is a perfect case of required warnings being used no matter if the person is an end user or repairer. < snipped material > > Never underestimate the stupidity of people challenged by > some intriguing label or instruction! However, a trained > serviceman should accept your label at face value. Yes, I had an interesting case with a laser and a "trained technician" once. Seems he decided to look down the fiber to check if the laser was on. It was an IR device (invisible to the naked eye) and running at about 15mW. When I was asked about it by marketing, I said, "make sure to tell the "technician" not to look at the laser with his remaining good eye ... " Luckily, the guy wasn't harmed, but they got the point. Unintended consequences abound, but it is not our responsibility to design simple common sense into everything that's made. It's our responsibility for due diligence, good engineering practices, safety, etc ... But if the product is being sold to the general public, remember the customer base can have as much as -2 full deviations (that's minus two) from the mean IQ of the population. - Doug McKean ------------------------------------------- This message is from the IEEE EMC Society Product Safety Technical Committee emc-pstc discussion list. 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Visit our web site at: http://www.ewh.ieee.org/soc/emcs/pstc/ To cancel your subscription, send mail to: [email protected] with the single line: unsubscribe emc-pstc For help, send mail to the list administrators: Michael Garretson: [email protected] Dave Heald [email protected] For policy questions, send mail to: Richard Nute: [email protected] Jim Bacher: [email protected] All emc-pstc postings are archived and searchable on the web at: http://www.rcic.com/ click on "Virtual Conference Hall,"
