Objective
The objective of this project is to demonstrate the feasibility and effectiveness of the application of system safety techniques to assure the safety, operability, reliability and dependability of ATT systems. It will produce frameworks for the prospective system safety analysis (PSSA), and the retrospective system safety evaluation (RSSE) of such systems. It will give guidance to certain DRIVE II projects on how to implement system safety, and will help create a "safety culture" within the DRIVE II programme as a whole with workshops.
Technical Approach
There are three sets of activities within the project: assistance to other DRIVE II projects, production of frameworks, and the presentation of workshops.
Initial assistance to other DRIVE II projects is the performance of a preliminary safety analysis (PSA) of ten systems to define the safety objectives, to help during the definition of sufficient safety requirements and to identify the possible consequences of the system should it malfunction.
A detailed safety analysis (DSA) is to be performed on two projects to confirm that the detailed design of their system does indeed conform to its safety objectives and safety requirements. A PSA and a DSA constitute a PSSA.
Once a PSSA has been performed on a safety-critical system and integrity levels have been assigned, its further development should proceed in a particular manner. Assistance is to be given to two separate DRIVE II projects during the latter stages of their implementation, with particular emphasis on their safety verification and validation.
The framework for PSSA is to give guidance to safety-critical ATT projects on how to implement system safety; this guidance will be in a form suitable for those not familiar with system safety.
Before an ATT system can be released for general use by the public it is necessary that it pass some form of evaluation. The use of current Type Approval techniques to assess ATT systems is not valid, and a framework will be produced for RSSE.
It is very seldom that safety is compromised deliberately, being either ignored through ignorance, or omitted through negligence. The former can be ameliorated through a "safety culture" that should exist within the development team; the latter can be minimised through the use of certain techniques. A number of workshops will be run during the DRIVE II programme to introduce the concept of system safety, and to teach some of the relevant techniques that help to achieve it.
The project is being managed with a quality assurance plan compliant with ISO 9000.
Key Issues
To identify safety-critical projects in the DRIVE II programme and to assist during the definition of safety objectives.
To demonstrate the feasibility and the effectiveness of the methods and techniques for ensuring system safety.
To give assistance for the safety-critical ATT projects on how to implement system safety.
To provide a framework for RSSE which can enhance the current Type Approval mechanism.
Expected Achievements
The techniques being developed to perform the DSAs, together with the PASSPORT method for PSA will be produced as a Framework for PSA.
Further assistance will be given to other DRIVE II projects as they develop their systems, and more workshops will be organised.
Guidelines for RSSE will be formulated.
Expected Impact
This project will help to improve the system safety of many of the DRIVE II projects, and increase the awareness of all DRIVE II participants of the techniques that can be employed during the creation of safe ATT systems.
Contribution to Standardisation
Whilst the DRIVE Safely document "Towards a European Standard: The Development of Safe Road Transport Informatic Systems" has provided a philosophy for the certification of ATT systems, the frameworks will provide guidance on how such certification can be consistent throughout Europe.
Fields of science
Topic(s)
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LS2 9JT LEEDS
United Kingdom