SERAD integrates safety into all things mechanical

David Pyatt
Chair, ASME Safety Engineering and Risk Analysis Division

ASME's Safety Engineering and Risk Analysis Division combines all things mechanical — planes, trains, and then some.

Integration of safety directly into the design of consumer products was one highlight of the technological revolution of the past few decades. This change has been highly effective but subtle, and has not received the fanfare of the Internet, electronic chips, or cellular telephones.

In fact, safety is generally recognized in a negative way — often only when serious accidents occur. A good example of this is the development of the radial tire and a corresponding database to identify and track causes of failures when they occur for various types of vehicles and other common mode contributors.

The database has had a direct impact on the speedy correction of problems, which ultimately saves lives. Most recently, this database was instrumental in helping to identify problems with Firestone tires.

As practicing safety professionals for many years, SERAD members know how difficult it is to improve safety methods. So much has been done that breakthroughs are rare. But, by almost everyone's measure, whether by injury, fatality or lost revenue, the safety record is improving, particularly on a time- or mile-traveled basis.

Through the Risk Based Task Force, SERAD contributed to the development of procedures that led to this improved record. Some of those procedures include: the development of safety codes and standards by practitioner peer groups; the development of databases to track incidents and accidents by causes; the development of feedback and lessons learned programs, and the development of structured mathematical and engineering methods.

And to ensure that anyone — either a member of ASME or one of the general public — who has a safety-related question has access to up-to-date information, a number of technical advisers are available through SERAD. I strongly encourage ASME members to take advantage of this free service. A listing of these technical advisers is available on the division's home page on ASME's Web site at www.asme.org/divisions/serad.

SERAD's technical advisers are:

Government Facilities, Dave Pyatt: david.pyatt@eh.doe.gov.

Hazardous Materials Transport Safety, Lisa Bendixen: bendixen.l @adlittle.com.

Human Factors, Joe Balkey: JPBASB@aol.com.

Industrial Product Safety, Dennis Brickman: brickman@triodyne.com.

Industrial Risk-Based Inspections, Dave Mauney: dmauney@ swri.edu.

Nuclear Risk-Based Inspections & Testing, Ken Balkey: Balkeykr@westinghouse.com.

Nuclear Safety, Frank Elia: frank.elia@stoneweb.com.

Passenger Transport Safety, Roger McCarthy: sfrlm@exponent.com.

Safety & Process Control Systems, Paris Stavrianidis: Paraskevas.Stavrianidis@factory-mutual.com.

We also have a broad membership that represents students — SERAD has a safety contest that recognizes students — and advisers and industry (with a CEO or two on hand) as well as government officials and academia.

As SERAD's chair for 2001, I am also available to anyone who is interested in learning more about the division. I can be contacted at (301) 903-5614 or by e-mail at David.Pyatt@eh.doe.gov.

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