Handbook

System Safety Engineering provides an understanding of the management and technical aspects inherent in of developing safe systems. The course also introduces the analytical tools, plans, and documents commonly used in system safety and details how system safety interacts with other disciplines (particularly systems and software engineering, human factors and project management). System safety is the planned application of management and analysis techniques to a technological system throughout its lifecycle.

System safety engineering firstly identifies hazardous scenarios, and their causes, that may result in a mishap or accident. Having done so, management practices are applied to eliminate or, if that is not possible, to constrain the risk associated with these hazards to achieve an acceptable level of safety that is consistent with the systems purpose and societal expectations. To assure this is achieved prior to commencing operation of a system requires the progressive and timely application of analytical and management techniques as the system passes through its lifecycle, to avoid costly and time-consuming modifications of the system design late in the life cycle. System safety engineering as a discipline draws upon many of the same techniques as systems engineering but also involves the consideration of the ethical and legal aspects of decisions made about safety and societal risk.