GENERAL INFORMATION SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS

4-APP 2-1 Appendix 2 to Chapter 4 MANAGEMENT OF SAFETY INFORMATION

1. GENERAL

1.1 Quality safety data are the lifeblood of safety management. Effective safety management is “data driven”. Information collected from operational and maintenance reports, safety reports, audits, evaluations of work practices, etc., generate a lot of data — although not all of it is relevant for safety management. So much safety-related information is collected and stored that there is a risk of overwhelming responsible managers, thereby compromising the utility of the data. Sound management of the organization’s databases is fundamental to effective safety management functions such as trend monitoring, risk assessment, cost-benefit analyses and occurrence investigations. 1.2 The argument necessary for safety change must be based on the analysis of consolidated and safety data. The establishment and maintenance of a safety database provide an essential tool for corporate managers, safety managers and regulatory authorities monitoring system safety issues. Unfortunately, many databases lack the data quality necessary to provide a reliable basis for adjusting safety priorities, evaluating the effectiveness of risk mitigation measures and initiating safety-related research. An understanding of data, databases and the use of appropriate tools is required to reach timely and valid decisions. 1.3 Increasingly, computer software is being used to facilitate the recording, storage, analysis and presentation of safety information. It is now possible to easily conduct sophisticated analysis of information in the databases. A wide range of relatively inexpensive electronic databases, capable of supporting the organization’s data management requirements, are commercially available for desktop computers. These stand-alone systems have the advantage of not using the organization’s main computer system, thus improving the security of the data.

2. INFORMATION SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS

Depending on the size of their organizations, users require a system with a range of capabilities and outputs to manage their safety data. In general, users require: a a system with the capability of transforming large amounts of safety data into useful information that supports decision making; b a system that will reduce workload for managers and safety personnel; c an automated system that is customizable to their own culture; and d a system that can operate at relatively low cost.

3. UNDERSTANDING DATABASES