Navigating the Challenges of Safety Management in Modern Product Development: Insights from a Safety Expert

INVENSITY: Sascha, with your extensive experience in the safety management industry, reflecting on the projects you’ve supported, what piece of advice would you give to anyone who is about to implement safety management on their project?

Sascha Hackmann: An essential step is to analyze the scope of the product development. This involves considering the target industry (such as automotive, railway, machinery, or others) and assessing whether the described scope of the safety standard aligns with the product being developed. Each of these industries has a specific safety standard that defines the requirements for products in this space. Once the relevant standard has been identified, it’s crucial to determine the extent of safety involvement required for the company. This includes evaluating whether there will be a single safety-relevant project or if similar projects are likely to be performed in the future. If that is the case, it’s necessary to acquire sustainable safety knowledge through the development of comprehensive safety processes. If the required expertise is lacking inside the company, options such as providing external training to employees or collaborating with consulting companies can be considered.

INVENSITY: What are the greatest challenges that companies face when it comes to implementing safety management?

Sascha Hackmann: Many companies we have consulted in the past did not or insufficiently initiate safety management practices during the beginning of their project development. Consequently, the primary challenge that many companies encounter is that the later safety activities are started, the lower the probability that they can create a significant impact on the design. As a result, if additional safety measures need to be implemented, adjustments to the design must be made late in the product development process, resulting in increased development costs and delays. Another common challenge that companies encounter is not having enough available resources for the correct implementation of safety measures in their products. They often lack qualified personnel dedicated to actively implementing, managing, and testing the required safety work products according to safety standards.

INVENSITY: Based on your experience, what would be the best approach to successfully tackle these challenges?

Sascha Hackmann: Starting safety management activities right from the beginning of product development in a new project is crucial. It allows for an early assessment of the safety criticality of the product and ensures that a preliminary safety concept is in place. By initiating safety management activities early on, potential risks can be identified and addressed proactively, reducing the likelihood of safety-related issues arising later in the development process. This proactive approach not only helps to ensure the safety of the final product but also minimizes the need for costly redesigns or modifications at later stages. Additionally, having a preliminary safety concept early in the development process provides a foundation for further refinement and optimization as the project progresses.

Unless these safety management activities happen at the start, the project timeline must be delayed, ultimately leading to a delayed start of production. Alternatively, if safety activities start too late and an evaluation of safety gaps reveals that open issues are not safety-critical, a conditional release with open actions may be issued.

INVENSITY: It also caught my attention when you mentioned that companies may face resource issues. How can a company best overcome this situation?

Sascha Hackmann: To effectively address resource issues, it is important to communicate to management the criticality of completing work products with sufficient safety competence to achieve a successful safety release at the end of product development. If there is a lack of safety knowledge within the company, prioritizing safety training for involved personnel becomes essential. The overall objective is to create a safety-oriented mindset among project members, particularly when developing safety-critical products. Since there are safety standards we need to adhere to, emphasizing the importance of safety personnel can be argued well.

INVENSITY: What are the most common gaps you see in companies regarding safety management?

Sascha Hackmann: I have encountered situations where safety plans designate individuals who already left the company months ago, but which rather is a formal issue. Similarly, some safety cases merely consist of outdated work product references without substantive argumentation validating the product’s safety based on evidence, which may even be a safety-critical issue. The most compelling evidence of a safe product remain successful confirmation reviews for the most important work products, since it is the best argument for a safe product. Validating that safety measures have been adequately implemented and that the product meets the required safety standards is equally as important. It not only confirms the effectiveness of safety measures but also provides assurance to stakeholders and regulatory bodies regarding the product’s safety integrity. Therefore, prioritizing and successfully passing confirmation reviews is paramount in establishing confidence in the safety of a product.

INVENSITY: Is there any advice or piece of information you wish you had when you started your professional journey in safety management?

Sascha Hackmann: Start with the standard and its requirements, as well as the processes involved. Following this, you can attend training sessions to enhance your understanding, which serves as a motivating goal. Even if you don’t succeed initially, the experience provides valuable insights into the depth of the subject matter, enabling significant learnings for subsequent attempts or ongoing safety projects.