MODULE - I (Tutorial 4) ANSWERS

Safety Assurance and Assessment

1. Severity variable is a rating corresponding to seriousness of an effect of a potential

failure.
2. The objective of FMEA is on failure prevention and not on failure detection.
3. HAZID stands for Hazard Identification. Its objective is to identify all hazards associated
with the operations of a plant, create an overview of the possible risk scenarios,
accidents that may occur and to provide an assurance that no significant hazard is
overlooked.
Limitations of HAZID:
Hazard analysis on equipment level is a micro-level study; as such, the overview
of the problem may be lost leading to chances of higher hazards.
Hazard analysis on system level is a macro-level study; as such it tends to be
generic and thus, may not give an insight into the correct problem and its cause.
4. FAILURE MODE AND EFFECT ANALYSIS (FMEA) is a method of hazard evaluation
suitable to complex mechanical and electrical systems.
5. WEAK LINK in any system refers to the component which has the highest rank for
failure. A detailed analysis of this weak link, along with probable re-designing to reduce
the probability of failure is incorporated in the system study. The weak links are required
to be identified in FMEA hazard studies for reporting and preventive action-taking.
6. Two types of FMEA are Design FMEA, which examines the function of a component,
sub-system or system for potential failures and Process FMEA, which examines the
processes used to make a component, sub-system or main system for potential failures.
7. The advantages of applying HAZOP to a new design are:

HAZOP supplements the design ideas with an imaginative anticipation of possible

deviations from the design (which may arise due to equipment malfunction or
operation error)
In the design of new plants, the designers might overlook some issues related to
safety in the beginning, which may result in errors later. HAZOP highlights these
errors in the beginning itself.

8. A FMEA cause-effect diagram for airbags used in passenger cars is as shown below:

9. Recording by Exception:
In earlier HAZOP studies, only possible deviations with some negative consequences
were recorded since these reports were only for internal use of the organization and it
saved time both during hazard analysis and reporting. This is called recording by
exception. In such a methodology, it is assumed that anything that is not recorded is
deemed to be satisfactory.
Full Recording:
Later, as HAZOP reports came to be used by external agencies too, the format changed
to full recording wherein all primary and secondary keywords are clearly stated as
applied to the system under study. Even statements like no cause could be identified or
no consequence arose from the cause recorded are included in the report.

10. FMEA Analysis of the anti skid braking system where the objective is to prevent locking
of front wheels during heavy braking is conducted in the table below. The FMEA includes
six components sensors S1, S2 and S3, valves V1 and V2 and the microcomputer.

COMPONENT

FAILURE MODE

Sensors S1 or No output signal

S2
(front
wheel)

Valves V1 or V2 (i) Valve fails to open

(front wheel)
(ii) Valve fails to close

Sensor S3 (rear No output signal

wheel)

Microcomputer
(MC)

FAILURE EFFECTS

REMARKS

MC assumes one wheel has Uneven braking on

stopped and sends a signal to wheels.
open the relief valve V1/V2 on
the wheel. Result is partial loss
of front wheel braking leading
to minor skidding.

(i) One front wheel locks upon

heavy braking

Testing required for

failure mode

(ii) Partial loss of front wheel

braking

Uneven braking on
front wheels; possible
use of stop valve.

MC has no reference speed Alarm system is

from rear wheels, hence does required.
not signal V1/V2 to open. Both
front wheels can lock on heavy
braking.

(i) No output signals

to front wheel
valves

(i) Both front wheels can lock

on heavy braking

(i) Alarm system

(ii) No output signal

(ii) One front wheel can lock on

(ii) Alarm system

to any one front

wheel valve

(iii) False output to

both/one front
wheel valves.

heavy braking

(iii) Total/partial loss of front

wheel brakes

required

required

(iii) Alarm system

required