There has been a good deal of print and perspiration expended in the Occupational Health and Safety community on the principal of ‘Zero Harm’, but does it really make sense? And can we afford it? The proponents of Zero Harm take the position that no industrial accident is acceptable, regardless of how small it is. There are however, certain problems with this position…
Archive for the ‘ALARP Principal’ Category
Zero Harm Makes Zero Sense
Posted in ALARP Principal, Safety, tagged OH&S, safety culture, Safety Propaganda, Zero Harm on 28/03/2011 | Leave a Comment »
As Low As Reasonably Practical
Posted in ALARP Principal, Risk, Risk Assessment, tagged ALARP, common law, grossly disproportionate, negligence, reasonably practical, risk acceptability, roman/napoleonic law, safety goal, satisfice on 27/10/2010 | Leave a Comment »
From a systems engineering perspective a technical requirement for ALARP or As Low As is Reasonably Practical is an extremely poor one. This is because the terms ‘reasonable’ and ‘practical’ are both qualitative in nature and therefore inherently unverifiable. This is a a short and practical guide on how to demonstrate what is practical and reasonable in complying with the ALARP safety goal
I tend towards the integrative rather than reductionist view of engineering and science. I'm interested in emergence, networks, relationships and interfaces as they apply to safety.what are the facts?
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