Safety has always been a
major concern of humanity. Many of the systems we take for granted are
very sensitive to safety violations. The introduction of computers (or
specialised, embedded processors) and software in such systems has
added another dimension to this important subject. The course
director has the unique honour of having taught safety to the Germans
(in Germany). This short course is based on several years of
serious study of this important topic. Read on....
Create an awareness of the mechanisms and
principles involved in safety-critical systems. Avoid
mathematical abstractions and techno-jargon. Participants need
not have any technical background.
Course methodology
Highly interactive lectures based on PDF
based presentation on a Linux box. For
good interaction, I expect **not more than 20 participants** in
my class.
Course handout
I will supply **one copy of my
CDROM** containing a very rich collection of tutorial material on
safety-critical systems (I update this CD almost everyday). The CD I
give will also contain all the slides used in my lecture. You will
have to make copies of the CD for all your participants. No
hardcopy/paper handouts will be given (let us not burn any more
trees).
If you want, I can bring along copies of my CDROM (at additional
copying+medium costs).
Other
You will be responsible for making all classroom
arrangements, and hands on arrangements. Specifically we will
need : a good LCD projector, standby PC, class room accessories,
cordless collar mike, UPS. A checklist will be sent to you
separately, as soon as you indicate your acceptance of our
proposal. You should also provide for: stationery, notepads,
pens, and a convenient folder for the participants.
Course contents (tentative)
Safety is a
very vast and serious subject. We provide a modular approach to this
subject. You can pick one or more modules, or a combination of topics
from these modules:
Overview of software oriented safety-critical systems
Analysis of accidents
Safety-critical systems in transport (e.g. railways)
Module #1: Overview of software oriented
safety-critical systems (one full day, 4 sessions of 90 minutes each)
Safety-critical systems are those in which a failure can have
serious and irreversible consequences. Since many such systems are
increasingly computer- controlled, software plays a dominant role in
their operations. In this category we find medical instrumentation,
railways signalling, hazardous-process control, air-traffic control
etc. Automation of such processes, particularly using computer based
systems has given rise to many serious issues and problems. This
course will cover many of the concepts and principles covering safety-
critical systems. The course is a mixture of lectures and group
exercises.
This course is ideal for those who wish to
obtain a clear and scientific understanding of the principles of this
important subject.
Module #2 : Analysis of accidents
(one full day, 4 sessions of 90 minutes each)
Every accident is a gold mine of information
which will help us understand the mechanisms and
phenomena involved in an accident. It can be an
excellent subject of study, to identify hazards, and to
prevent further accidents. This seminar will focus on
the analysis aspects of accidents, and describe a few
tools which can be employed. It will also show how
post-accident reports can be made more unambiguous and
compact.
This module is best suited for persons from: Regulatory bodies,
Insurance companies, Researchers, Legal profession,
Industrialists, Designers of processor-based safety-critical systems.
Module #3 : Safety-critical systems in
transport (e.g. railways) (one full day, 4 sessions of 90 minutes each)
This course is specific to safety concerns in
the transport sector, particularly railways. After a
brief introduction to the fundamental principles and
terminology, the course will take up case studies and
group exercises related to the transport sector. In a
country like India, where railways is a major mode of
mass transport of passengers and goods, safety has a
very important role to play. Many modern concepts and
ideas are being implemented in Western countries,
particularly in Europe. Simply transporting these ideas
to India is neither feasible nor advisable. In this
course we will see the various issues involved and the
solutions possible. This course is based on the long
association of the author with various railways related
organisations world-wide.
