Reliability, Maintainability and Risk

Reliability, Maintainability and Risk: Practical Methods for Engineers, Ninth Edition, has taught reliability and safety engineers techniques to minimize process design, operation defects, and failures for 35 years.

For beginners, the book provides tactics on how to avoid pitfalls in this complex and wide field. For experts in the field, well-described, realistic, and illustrative examples and case studies add new insight and assistance. The author uses his 40 years of experience to create a comprehensive and detailed guide to the field, also providing an excellent description of reliability and risk computation concepts.

The book is organized into five parts. Part One covers reliability parameters and costs traces the history of reliability and safety technology, presenting a cost-effective approach to quality, reliability, and safety. Part Two deals with the interpretation of failure rates, while Part Three focuses on the prediction of reliability and risk.

Part Four discusses design and assurance techniques, review and testing techniques, reliability growth modeling, field data collection and feedback, predicting and demonstrating repair times, quantified reliability maintenance, and systematic failures, while Part 5 deals with legal, management and safety issues, such as project management, product liability, and safety legislation.

• Additional chapter on helicopter and aviation safety record
• Coverage of models for partial valve stroke test, fault tree logic and quantification difficulties
• More detail on use of tools such as FMEDA and programming standards like MISRA

Chemical, process, plant, oil & gas and related systems safety engineers

Part 1: Understanding Reliability Parameters and Costs

Chapter 1: The History of Reliability and Safety Technology

• Abstract
• 1.1. Failure Data
• 1.2. Hazardous Failures
• 1.3. Predicting Reliability and Risk
• 1.4. Achieving Reliability and Safety-Integrity
• 1.5. The RAMS-Cycle
• 1.6. Contractual and Legal Pressures
• 1.7. Reliability versus Functional Safety

Chapter 2: Understanding Terms and Jargon

• Abstract
• 2.1. Defining Failure and Failure Modes
• 2.2. Failure Rate and Mean Time Between Failures
• 2.3. Interrelationships of Terms
• 2.4. The Bathtub Distribution
• 2.5. Down Time and Repair Time
• 2.6. Availability, Unavailability and Probability of Failure on Demand
• 2.7. Hazard and Risk-Related Terms
• 2.8. Choosing the Appropriate Parameter

Chapter 3: A Cost-Effective Approach to Quality, Reliability and Safety

• Abstract
• 3.1. Reliability and Optimum Cost
• 3.2. Costs and Safety
• 3.3. The Cost of Quality

Part 2: Interpreting Failure Rates

Chapter 4: Realistic Failure Rates and Prediction Confidence

• Abstract
• 4.1. Data Accuracy
• 4.2. Sources of Data
• 4.3. Data Ranges
• 4.4. Confidence Limits of Prediction
• 4.5. Manufacturers’ Data (Warranty Claims)
• 4.6. Overall Conclusions

Chapter 5: Interpreting Data and Demonstrating Reliability

• Abstract
• 5.1. The Four Cases
• 5.2. Inference and Confidence Levels
• 5.3. The Chi-Square Test
• 5.4. Understanding the Method in More Detail
• 5.5. Double-Sided Confidence Limits
• 5.6. Reliability Demonstration
• 5.7. Sequential Testing
• 5.8. Setting Up Demonstration Tests

Chapter 6: Variable Failure Rates and Probability Plotting

• Abstract
• 6.1. The Weibull Distribution
• 6.2. Using the Weibull Method
• 6.3. More Complex Cases of the Weibull Distribution
• 6.4. Continuous Processes

Part 3: Predicting Reliability and Risk

Chapter 7: Basic Reliability Prediction Theory

• Abstract
• 7.1. Why Predict RAMS?
• 7.2. Probability Theory
• 7.3. Reliability of Series Systems
• 7.4. Redundancy Rules
• 7.5. General Features of Redundancy
• Exercises

Chapter 8: Methods of Modeling

• Abstract
• 8.1. Block Diagrams and Repairable Systems
• 8.2. Common Cause (Dependent) Failure
• 8.3. Fault Tree Analysis
• 8.4. Event Tree Diagrams

Chapter 9: Quantifying the Reliability Models

• Abstract
• 9.1. The Reliability Prediction Method
• 9.2. Allowing for Diagnostic Intervals
• 9.3. FMEDA (Failure Mode and Diagnostic Analysis)
• 9.4. Human Factors
• 9.5. Simulation
• 9.6. Comparing Predictions with Targets

Chapter 10: Risk Assessment (QRA)

• Abstract
• 10.1. Frequency and Consequence
• 10.2. Perception of Risk, ALARP and Cost per Life Saved
• 10.3. Hazard Identification
• 10.4. Factors to Quantify

Part 4: Achieving Reliability and Maintainability

Chapter 11: Design and Assurance Techniques

• Abstract
• 11.1. Specifying and Allocating the Requirement
• 11.2. Stress Analysis
• 11.3. Environmental Stress Protection
• 11.4. Failure Mechanisms
• 11.5. Complexity and Parts
• 11.6. Burn-In and Screening
• 11.7. Maintenance Strategies

Chapter 12: Design Review, Test and Reliability Growth

• Abstract
• 12.1. Review Techniques
• 12.2. Categories of Testing
• 12.3. Reliability Growth Modeling

Chapter 13: Field Data Collection and Feedback

• Abstract
• 13.1. Reasons for Data Collection
• 13.2. Information and Difficulties
• 13.3. Times to Failure
• 13.4. Spreadsheets and Databases
• 13.5. Best Practice and Recommendations
• 13.6. Analysis and Presentation of Results
• 13.7. Manufacturers’ data
• 13.8. Anecdotal Data
• 13.9. Examples of Failure Report Forms
• 13.10. No-Fault-Found (NFF)

Chapter 14: Factors Influencing Down Time

• Abstract
• 14.1. Key Design Areas
• 14.2. Maintenance Strategies and Handbooks

Chapter 15: Predicting and Demonstrating Repair Times

• Abstract
• 15.1. Prediction Methods
• 15.2. Demonstration Plans

Chapter 16: Quantified Reliability Centered Maintenance

• Abstract
• 16.1. What is QRCM?
• 16.2. The QRCM Decision Process
• 16.3. Optimum Replacement (Discard)
• 16.4. Optimum Spares
• 16.5. Optimum Proof Test
• 16.6. Condition Monitoring

Chapter 17: Systematic Failures, Especially Software

• Abstract
• 17.1. Random versus Systematic Failures
• 17.2. Software-related Failures
• 17.3. Software Failure Modeling
• 17.4. Software Quality Assurance (Life Cycle Activities)
• 17.5. Modern/Formal Methods
• 17.6. Software Checklists

Part 5: Legal, Management and Safety Considerations

Chapter 18: Project Management and Competence

• Abstract
• 18.1. Setting Objectives and Making Specifications
• 18.2. Planning, Feasibility and Allocation
• 18.3. Program Activities
• 18.4. Responsibilities and Competence
• 18.5. Functional Safety Capability
• 18.6. Standards and Guidance Documents

Chapter 19: Contract Clauses and Their Pitfalls

• Abstract
• 19.1. Essential Areas
• 19.2. Other Areas
• 19.3. Pitfalls
• 19.4. Penalties
• 19.5. Subcontracted Reliability Assessments

Chapter 20: Product Liability and Safety Legislation

• Abstract
• 20.1. The General Situation
• 20.2. Strict Liability
• 20.3. The Consumer Protection Act 1987
• 20.4. Health and Safety at Work Act 1974
• 20.5. Insurance and Product Recall

Chapter 21: Major Incident Legislation

• Abstract
• 21.1. History of Major Incidents
• 21.2. Development of major incident legislation
• 21.3. Safety reports
• 21.4. Offshore Safety Cases
• 21.5. Problem Areas
• 21.6. Rail
• 21.7. Corporate Manslaughter and Corporate Homicide

Chapter 22: Integrity of Safety-Related Systems

• Abstract
• 22.1. Safety-Related or Safety-Critical?
• 22.2. Safety-Integrity Levels (SILs)
• 22.3. Programable electronic systems (PESs)
• 22.4. Current guidance
• 22.5. Framework for Certification

Chapter 23: A Case Study: The Datamet Project

• Abstract
• 23.1. Introduction
• 23.2. The Datamet Concept
• 23.3. The Contract
• 23.4. Detailed Design
• 23.5. Syndicate Study
• 23.6. Hints

Chapter 24: A Case Study: Gas Detection System

• Abstract
• 24.1. Safety-Integrity Target
• 24.2. Random Hardware Failures
• 24.3. ALARP
• 24.4. Architectures
• 24.5. Life-Cycle Activities
• 24.6. Functional Safety Capability

Chapter 25: A Case Study: Pressure Control System

• Abstract
• 25.1. The Unprotected System
• 25.2. Protection System
• 25.3. Assumptions
• 25.4. Reliability Block Diagram
• 25.5. Failure Rate Data
• 25.6. Quantifying the Model
• 25.7. Proposed Design and Maintenance Modifications
• 25.8. Modeling Common Cause Failure (Pressure Transmitters)
• 25.9. Quantifying the Revised Model
• 25.10. ALARP
• 25.11. Architectural Constraints

Chapter 26: Helicopter Incidents and Risk Assessment

• Abstract
• 26.1. Helicopter Incidents
• 26.2. Risk Assessment - Floatation Equipment
• 26.3. Effect of Pilot Experience on Incident Rate

Appendix 1: Glossary

Appendix 2: Percentage Points of the Chi-Square Distribution

Appendix 3: Microelectronic Failure Rates

Appendix 4: General Failure Rates

Appendix 5: Failure Mode Percentages

Appendix 6: Human Error Probabilities

Appendix 7: Fatality Rates

Appendix 8: Answers to Exercises

Appendix 9: Bibliography

Appendix 10: Scoring Criteria for BETAPLUS Common Cause Model

Appendix 11: Example of HAZOP

Appendix 12: HAZID Checklist

Appendix 13: Markov Analysis of Redundant Systems

Appendix 14: Calculating the GDF