tues_track4

Fault Tree Analysis for Safety
Instructor: Mr. Clifton A. Ericson II
Track 4 - System Safety & Engineering Design Systems Relationships
Tuesday, 1:00 PM - 2:45 PM

Course Abstract:
The objective of this course is to teach the students about Fault Tree Analysis (FTA) and how to construct fault trees for system safety. The tutorial will explain the FT building blocks, how to systematically construct a FT, basic mathematical methods, some FT pitfalls to avoid, and basic FT rules to follow. A short example will demonstrate the value of a FT.

Topic Learning Objectives:
1. FTA Introduction
      a. Purpose, benefits and value
      b. Strengths, weaknesses, myths
      c. History

2. FTA Process
      a. Eight basic steps

3. FTA Definitions
      a. Definitions and terminology
      b. Gates and symbols
4. FTA Construction
      a. Approaches
      b. Systematic methodology
      c. Construction rules

5. Typical FTA Models of System Designs
      a. How to model various system design methods

6. FTA Evaluation
      a. What is a cut set
      b. How to obtain cut sets

7. FTA Principles
      a. Overall FTA principles to keep in mind

8. Commercial FT software
      a. Current codes available

9. How to use a FT computer program
      a. eTree FT software program

10. Practical examples

Student Requirements:
· Students are required to actively participate in class discussions and exercises
· Students are required to have the proper tools necessary to take notes

Instructor Bio:
Mr. Clifton Ericson has 40+ years of experience in the field of system safety and software safety. He currently works for EG&G Technical Services, Inc. in Dahlgren, VA. He is a project manager for system safety and software safety, where he provides technical analysis, consulting and training. He also provides technical advisory support to the Navy’s Software System Safety Technical Review Panel (SSSTRP) and manages several system/software safety projects. He has worked as a system safety engineer on the E2-C2 program for NAVAIR division of the U.S. Navy. He currently is developing safety policy and procedures for NAVAIR for application to all Navy aircraft programs, including those programs in acquisition development and operational use.

Prior to joining EG&G Mr. Ericson worked at Applied Ordnance Technology (AOT), Inc. of Waldorf, Maryland, where he was a program manager of system and software safety. In this capacity he directed projects in system safety and software safety engineering. He wrote a Navy manual on System Safety for the Naval Ordnance Safety and Security Activity (NOSSA) and supported the Navy’s Software System Safety Certification initiative. He also prepared and presented training courses in system safety and software safety in the U.S., Singapore and Australia.

Prior to joining AOT, Mr. Ericson was employed as a Senior Principal Engineer for the Boeing Company for 35 years. At Boeing he worked in the fields of System Safety, Software Engineering and computer programming. Mr. Ericson has been involved in all aspects of system safety, including hazard analysis, Fault Tree analysis, software safety, safety certification, safety documentation, safety research, new business proposals and safety training. His two areas of specialization are Fault Tree Analysis (FTA) and Software Safety. He has been involved in all aspects of FTA, including systems analysis, computation, multi-phase simulation, plotting, documentation, training and programming. Mr. Ericson conducts training classes on FTA and is currently writing a book on FTA.

Mr. Ericson is the developer of several computer programs for fault tree analysis. In 1975 he helped start the Software Safety discipline, and has written papers on software safety and taught software safety at the University of Washington. Mr. Ericson was President of the System Safety Society (2001-2003), and is on the technical review committee for the Journal of System Safety. He has served as Executive Vice President of the System Safety Society, and Co-Chairman of the 16th International System Safety Conference. He is the founder of the Puget Sound chapter (Seattle) of the System Safety Society. In 2000 he won the Apollo Award for safety consulting work on the International Space Station, and the Boeing Achievement Award for developing the Boeing Fault Tree Analysis course. Mr. Ericson won the System Safety Society’s Presidents Achievement Award in 1998, 1999 and 2004 for outstanding work in the system safety field.

Mr. Ericson is author of the book “Hazard Analysis Techniques for System Safety” (published in July 2005). He co-teaches a two week course at the University of Washington on Reliability, System Safety Engineering and Fault Tree Analysis. He is also author of an 1100 page Navy Handbook on System Safety. Mr. Ericson writes a technical column in each issue of the Journal of System Safety (JSS) and he is also the editor for the JSS.