1.1 Identifying hazards

Author: SAM demonstrator project

Identifying hazards is an important function in the design and safety assurance of robotics and autonomous systems (RAS). This function will be variable in its level of success. Some of the drivers for this performance variability will be intrinsic to the function (e.g. the experience of the analyst performing the function and the method they choose to use), some will be extrinsic to the function (e.g. the time and resources available for activities to identify hazards), and some will be functionally coupled to wider functions upstream and downstream in the system (e.g. the analyst might have done a similar project before, this enhances their choice of method and the hazards they “see” for this project, this sparks more grounded debate and ideas with the subject matter experts and engineers, which leads to design improvements).

Here, we expand the notion of “identifying hazards” not just as a technical issue that focuses on the mechanical application of methods, but a socio-technical issue that includes the skills, knowledge and experience of the analyst, who the rest of the team are and how they are involved, the processes that are followed, time and resources allowed, and the concepts and theory that guides thinking. As we see below, these drivers can be mapped so we have a better idea of what makes the performance of “identifying hazards” flourish rather than stall. 

Indeed, there is some suggestion from recently literature that to ensure system safety we must not only attend to identifying hazards and reducing risks following the ALARP principle (Safety-I), but that we must also understand the (sometimes hidden and implicit) positive behaviours that create safety (Safety-II). We must have a good understanding about how safety is normally created in everyday work, otherwise the introduction of RAS might inadvertently erode resilience behaviours. For example, the official view of the system might be clear that verbal medication orders should not be taken and medication prescriptions should always be complete, however enforcing these things could lead to delayed medication, workarounds, non-compliance and disuse. Sometimes seemingly erroneous behaviour is practiced to keep the system safe.

Identifying hazards will not be perfect and factors driving its performance need to be understood.