What is the object of safety science

Abstract One of the symbols of a mature science is that it has an explicit object of scientific research. It is necessary for safety science to have a well-defined object that can be studied. The aim of this paper is to answer the question “What is the object of safety science?” Many safety researchers are concerned about this issue. The main viewpoints on this issue are reviewed, classified and discussed. However, there is yet no universally accepted object of safety science. Four evaluation criteria of a proper object of scientific research are proposed to avoid falling into the trap of solipsism. According to these evaluation criteria, there is no proper object of safety science at present. Although the focuses of safety science have been dynamic in its history, the object of safety science should be clear and uniform in the future. Therefore, a new term called a “hazard-target system” as the object of safety science is introduced and discussed based on related safety models. It is concluded that a hazard-target system can be viewed as the proper object of safety science.

[1]  Kaili Xu,et al.  Focusing on the patterns and characteristics of extraordinarily severe gas explosion accidents in Chinese coal mines , 2018, Process Safety and Environmental Protection.

[2]  Huang Hao,et al.  The Object of Study of Safety Science and Its Knowledge System , 2007 .

[3]  Nancy G. Leveson,et al.  A new accident model for engineering safer systems , 2004 .

[4]  Nima Khakzad,et al.  Using graph theory to analyze the vulnerability of process plants in the context of cascading effects , 2015, Reliab. Eng. Syst. Saf..

[5]  Maureen E. Hassall,et al.  Accident-causing mechanism in coal mines based on hazards and polarized management , 2016 .

[6]  P. Salmon,et al.  Back to the future: What do accident causation models tell us about accident prediction? , 2018 .

[7]  Shamus P. Smith,et al.  Integrating Human Factors in the design of Safety Critical Systems - A barrier based approach , 2004, Human Error, Safety and Systems Development.

[8]  Li Li,et al.  Safety assessment of petrochemical enterprise using the cloud model, PHA–LOPA and the bow-tie model , 2018, Royal Society Open Science.

[9]  Albert Kuhlmann.  Introduction to Safety Science , 1986 .

[10]  Meriem Smaiah,et al.  Contribution to the Improvement of the MADS–MOSAR Method for the Modeling of Domino Effects , 2017, Journal of Failure Analysis and Prevention.

[11]  Rob Alexander,et al.  Supporting systems of systems hazard analysis using multi-agent simulation , 2013 .

[12]  Neville A. Stanton,et al.  Safety in System-of-Systems: ten key challenges , 2014 .

[13]  Nancy G Leveson,et al.  Rasmussen's legacy: A paradigm change in engineering for safety. , 2017, Applied ergonomics.

[14]  Laurent Perrin,et al.  Normative barriers improvement through the MADS/MOSAR methodology , 2012 .

[15]  Jean-Christophe Le Coze,et al.  The foundations of safety science , 2014 .

[16]  Andrew Hale,et al.  Safety science, a founding fathers’ retrospection , 2017 .

[17]  Valerio Cozzani,et al.  Assessment of domino effect: State of the art and research Needs , 2015, Reliab. Eng. Syst. Saf..

[18]  Alexis Drogoul,et al.  Multi-agent Based Simulation: Where Are the Agents? , 2002, MABS.

[19]  Terje Aven,et al.  What is safety science , 2014 .

[20]  Emmanuel Matsika,et al.  Rail vehicles, environment, safety and security , 2013 .

[21]  G. Reniers,et al.  Work safety in China’s Thirteenth Five-Year plan period (2016–2020): Current status, new challenges and future tasks , 2018 .

[22]  W. Haddon.  A NOTE CONCERNING ACCIDENT THEORY AND RESEARCH WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO MOTOR VEHICLE ACCIDENTS , 1963, Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences.

[23]  Qingwei Xu,et al.  The main challenges of safety science , 2019, Safety Science.

[24]  Paul Swuste,et al.  Is big data risk assessment a novelty? , 2016 .

[25]  Gwo-Hshiung Tzeng,et al.  Building an effective safety management system for airlines , 2008 .

[26]  Yu Xiu-wu.  Study on interdiscipline and architecture of safety science , 2011 .

[27]  John A. Stoop.  Safety : A system state or property? , 2016 .

[28]  Hans J. Pasman,et al.  Optimal Integration of Safety in complex system design using the Safety Modelling Language , 2004 .

[29]  Clinton V. Oster,et al.  Analyzing aviation safety: Problems, challenges, opportunities , 2013 .

[30]  M. Sam Mannan,et al.  Risk assessment: What is it worth? Shall we just do away with it, or can it do a better job? , 2017 .

[31]  Andrew Hale,et al.  Foundations of safety science: A postscript , 2014 .

[32]  Jérémie Guiochet,et al.  Hazard analysis of human-robot interactions with HAZOP-UML , 2016, Safety Science.

[33]  Jens Rasmussen,et al.  Risk management in a dynamic society: a modelling problem , 1997 .

[34]  Vedant Singh,et al.  Investigating the moderating effects of multi group on safety performance: The case of civil aviation , 2019, Case Studies on Transport Policy.

[35]  Erik Hollnagel,et al.  Is safety a subject for science , 2014 .

[36]  Hans J. Pasman.  Learning from the past and knowledge management: Are we making progress? , 2009 .

[37]  P-X Thivel,et al.  Risk analysis of a biomass combustion process using MOSAR and FMEA methods. , 2008, Journal of hazardous materials.

[38]  Y. Bultel,et al.  Risk Analysis on a Fuel Cell in Electric Vehicle Using the MADS/MOSAR Methodology , 2007 .

[39]  P. Swuste,et al.  Occupational safety theories, models and metaphors in the three decades since World War II, in the United States, Britain and the Netherlands: A literature review , 2014 .

[40]  Peter J. Glismann.  Systems Engineering and Safety: Building the Bridge , 2013 .

[41]  S. Kaplan,et al.  On The Quantitative Definition of Risk , 1981 .

[42]  G. Fu,et al.  A modified accident analysis and investigation model for the general aviation industry: Emphasizing on human and organizational factors. , 2018, Journal of safety research.

[43]  Dimitri Lefebvre,et al.  Risk analysis of French chemical industry , 2018, Safety Science.