Real World Example - Consumer Electronics Manufacturer

A large consumer electronics manufacturer is successfully applying the risk assessment process to a new product development effort.  Safety professionals lead the implementation effort and assist in identifying hazards.  Design engineers participate in the process of identifying hazards and lead in reducing risks.  Managers require risks to be reduced to an acceptable level before the design can advance to production.

 

In this application, products liability issues area  concern.  Diligent efforts are being made by safety personnel and design engineers to prevent customer incidents while using the product.  However, the manufacturer would likely be named in any potential litigation due to its size and resources.  In this situation the risk assessment process is being used to help document decisions of risk and the risk reduction methods used to minimize risk knowing that the decisions may come under scrutiny in the future.  The risk assessment process is helping to create the story that can be told about the design decisions and tradeoffs made during the development process.  In the event of subsequent litigation, the story can be told as needed.

 

Prior to introducing the risk assessment process, engineers did not think in terms of hazards or risks.  Now, engineers engage in discussions about hazards and specific risk reduction methods and how they do not impact probability of injury sufficiently to reduce risk to an acceptable level, and how alternate risk reduction methods do so.  This constitutes significant progress.