Engineering Management: Meeting the Global Challenges, Second Edition

Q u a l i t y I i s S a f e t y I I : The Integrat ion of Two Management Systems. 2017. Sasho Andonov. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press. 194 pages. This book builds a case for integrating quality and safety into one management system, by exploring how the two areas already have many similarities when viewed side by side. Andonov’s argument is built on the fundamental idea that quality and safety are complementary, and combining the two systems results in an organization that is able to prevent or stop accidents and defects while also finding ways to encourage and improve quality and safety. The book incorporates concepts that should be familiar to all quality professionals (variability in systems and processes), and explores how these concepts are relevant, but often overlooked, when it comes to the treatment of safety. The book begins by defining systems, establishing a common language, and exploring the fundamentals of systems in general. The author explores each individual component of the system (humans, equipment, and procedures) and briefly addresses the impact of change on different elements of the system and the involvement of top management. Once the reader has an understanding of systems, the author moves into a discussion of Quality-I. In the sect ion devoted to Quality-I, Andonov provides readers with the fundamentals of quality, including a brief history, definitions, and some specifics relating to measuring quality. He explores aspects of a good quality management system that should exist in all organizations. His exploration of Quality-I is appropriate for those with a minimal background in quality and serves as a good review for those with a deeper understanding of the topic. Andonov then takes a similar approach with his discussion of Safety-I, where readers will recognize similarities to the discussion of Quality-I. (In this book, the term “Safety-I” refers to safety based on understanding failures.) In a book of this length, it is not possible to get a deep understanding of the specifics and subtleties of both quality and safety, and that is not the intent of the author; rather, it is to explore basic principles and areas where the two overlap, intersect, and are complementary. By exploring each separately, Andonov is then able to explore the natural connection between the two and provide several examples that explore this connection and illustrate how quality concepts are not only relevant, but also appropriate when dealing with safety, safety management, and safety systems. Next, the author explores the deficiencies associated with a safety system that is linear, rigid, and limited to detecting and preventing failures (Safety-I). He goes on to explore the idea of a system that deals with successes (Safety-II) and is oriented to creating an environment that is tough enough to meet strict requirements but also elastic enough that normal variability does not result in accidents or near misses. This leads into a brief discussion of the concept of resilience engineering and the role it should play in Safety-II. The book concludes by recognizing that there are many challenges associated with unifying quality and safety into a single system, and argues that the benefits would be worthwhile. He admits that change is unlikely unless a regulatory body establishes a requirement for combining the two, and acknowledges that while some organizations seem to be supportive of aligning quality and safety, a full commitment to integrating the two is unlikely in the immediate future.