Resilience Engineering in Practice, Volume 2 by Erik Hollnagel & Christopher P. Nemeth

Author:Erik Hollnagel & Christopher P. Nemeth [Erik Hollnagel]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: CRC Press
Published: 2016-11-29T16:00:00+00:00

Introduction

Our modern society comprises various socio-technical systems. Socio-technical systems may vary in size and may vary in longevity – from temporary to permanent. When some irregularity happens in these systems, our society is significantly affected and disrupted.

Consider when a delay occurs in the schedule of a local train. We may not catch the flight that we had planned to take, and we may lose good business opportunities; that may have serious consequences for us. Our modern society is, after all, a fragile thing, like a glass sculpture made by various socio-technical systems. Therefore, specific management is needed to maintain the stability of the systems.

Factors that disturb the stability of the system are threats. All socio-technical systems are constantly faced with various threats. They can hardly escape from them. The kinds of threats can be classified into five categories:

a. Natural threats: these are natural disasters such as typhoons, earthquakes and heavy snowfall. Small animals or insects can also make serious threats, as seen in bird strikes on airplanes. Viruses and other infective agents can be a natural threat.

b. Social threats: these are pranks and malicious acts. Terrorism is the worst one. Children who put stones mischievously on railroad tracks are examples of social threats to railways. Recently, cyber-attacks have also become a serious threat.

c. Technical threats: these include equipment failure. It is well known that equipment failure is especially common when new technology is introduced. The troubles that occurred on B787 aircrafts in 2013 are one example. Old equipment often poses a threat as well, because however robust the equipment that was developed, it is impossible to escape from deterioration.

d. Service target threats: these are threats that arise when the demand that the socio-technical system serves outstrips supply. Large influxes of passengers on railways or patients at medical institutions can pose threats to the overall provision of reliable services of the socio-technical system.

e. Human threats: these are the so-called human errors and violations of the staffs. The decline in the level of the safety culture will accelerate the occurrence of human threats.

Specific countermeasures must be taken to prevent instability or accidents caused by these threats.

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