Use of Hazard Analysis Techniques During the Product Life Cycle: HAZOP and FMEA Compared

Abstract

During the development, use and disposal of any product which has safety implications a series of safety studies is carried out in order to refine the analysis of its safety and confirm that its level of safety is acceptable. As these safety studies are carried out, a series of techniques is used at varying levels of detail. In programmable electronic systems (PES), failure arising from design mistakes may often dominate failures resulting from random hardware faults and therefore it is crucial to identify potential hazards early in the design process so that appropriate design measures can be taken. Hazard analysis is the process of identifying such undesirable events and their consequences.