Zero Visions and Other Safety Principles

Abstract

AbstractSafety management is largely based on safety principles, which are simple guidelines intended to guide safety work. This chapter provides a typology and systematic overview of safety principles and an analysis of how they relate to Vision Zero. Three major categories of safety principles are investigated. The aspiration principles tell us what level of safety or risk reduction we should aim at or aspire to. Important examples are Vision Zero, continuous improvement, ALARA (as low as reasonably achievable), BAT (best available technology), cost-benefit analysis, cost-effectiveness analysis, risk limits, and exposure limits. The error tolerance principles are based on the insight that accidents and mistakes will happen, however much we try to avoid them. We therefore have to minimize the negative effects of failures and unexpected disturbances. Safety principles telling us how to do this include fail-safety, inherent safety, substitution, multiple safety barriers, redundancy, and safety factors. Finally, evidence evaluation principles provide guidance on how to evaluate uncertain evidence. Major such principles are the precautionary principle, a reversed burden of proof, and risk neutrality.