FAQ 2

[Sparweb]

I've had some free time to write about something that I've been interested in for a while. I wrote it as a FAQ since some of my research into these questions may be links of wider interest.

Some questions I wanted to ask:
How do different industries investigate accidents when they do occur?
How do engineers in different industries learn lessons from accidents?
Does legal action after an accident lead to improved engineering?
Are investigations held by governments, courts, or industry more effective?

The FAQ is written as a work-in-progress. Suggestions/criticism are very welcome.
The only topics I have written about are ones I have seen or considered in my professional career, except for civil engineering; not my field at all.
The main reason that I brought up failures in civil engineering is ignorance of any consolidated accident databases to refer to... Where is the big picture?
If you ask me of typical causes of aviation accidents, I know exactly where to look, what to look for, how to refine the data...
If you ask me of typical causes of building collapses... blank... civil/structural guys+gals... help?


STF

 

[Sparweb]

Scotty, that's a great link, and I'll include it in the FAQ.
There's a thorough report on the Buncefield accident in one of the free PDF issues. Lots of lessons to learn there!

STF

 

[ScottyUK]

Glad it is of use. I have searched and searched for a copy of the Piper Alpha report but frustratingly it seems to be hard copy only. It's a damning critique of an entire industry as it was at the time, and it was the biggest game-changer in UK safety legislation since the Robens Report which resulted in the Health & Safety at Work Act 1974.

 

[SlideRuleEra]

Scotty - Is this the Piper Alpha report: Report on the Consultative Committee on Safety in the Offshore Petroleum Industry

http://www.SlideRuleEra.net

http://www.VacuumTubeEra.net

 

[ScottyUK]

Thanks SRE but no, that's one of the multitude of documents which reference it. The actual report is nearly 500 pages long across two volumes.

Here's the official link:

https://www.tsoshop.co.uk/bookstore...ok&ProductID=9780101131025&From=SearchResults

There are few on Amazon / ebay:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Public-Inquiry-Piper-Disaster-Command/dp/010113102X

 

[MartinLe]

Not sure this is entirely on topic - different codes on the same physical thing in different industries.

In Germany, there's a rule for biogas plants that condensate pits may not have ladders. Condensate pits for sewage gas (same thing, different source) have no such rule. Condensate can exude gas (CO2, H2S) which can kill or incapacite one quickly.

This is less stupid than it sounds: Most biogas plants are on farms, operated by farmers. Who theoretically know all about the dangers of pits and shafts (silos, manure pits are also dangerous), but still accidents happen. Possibly because the attitude of many farmers to saftey is a bit cavalier. So the Berufsgenossenschaft (body responsible for work-related health insurance and some safety regs) mandates no stairs/ladders in condensate shafts.

Wasterwater treatment is mostly a municipal afair, the plants have (mostly) enough staff, the staff is better trained and equipped for work in dangerous atmospheres, and maybe the mentality is different.

(Safe procedure is basically to have the person in the shaft with air supply and in harness, chained to a tripod so a second person can pull the first out.)