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System Safety Assessment - COM00052M

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  • Department: Computer Science
  • Credit value: 10 credits
  • Credit level: M
  • Academic year of delivery: 2022-23

Module will run

Occurrence Teaching period
A Spring Term 2022-23

Module aims

This module aims to cover the analysis and assessment phase of the system safety engineering life-cycle for a proposed product or service. It does so by considering the inputs to this phase, the qualitative and quantitative analysis techinques that can be employed within this phase and the outputs from this phase in terms of evidence into the safety case regime. It also considers the changing assessment requirements as more integrated and complex systems are developed.

Module learning outcomes

  • Explain the role of system safety assessment in the safety lifecycle
  • Describe and participate in RBD, FMEA, Markov and cause-consequence techniques
  • Describe and participate in fault tree construction
  • Describe and participate in the production and evaluation of fault tree cut sets
  • Describe and participate in the production and evaluation of fault tree quantitative analysis
  • Select appropriate analysis techniques for particular situations
  • Assess the implications of the results of system safety analysis
  • Explain the role of system safety assessment techniques during detailed design
  • Explain the role and issues surrounding system safety analysis in safety arguments
  • Compare manual and automated performance of system safety assessment
  • Discuss the state of the art and future directions in system safety assessment
  • Critically evaluate performance of system safety assessment by others

Indicative assessment

Task % of module mark
Essay/coursework 100

Special assessment rules

None

Indicative reassessment

Task % of module mark
Essay/coursework 100

Module feedback

Individual written feedback is provided via the online feedback system. There will be a general feedback on the answers I was expecting and individual feedback on how well you did for each question.

Indicative reading

**** JD Andrews & TR Moss, Reliability and Risk Assessment, Professional Engineering Publishing, 2006

**** Nureg, Fault Tree Handbook, Nureg, 1981

*** O'Connor, Practical Reliability Engineering 5th ed, Wiley, 2012

*** A. Elsayed, Reliability Engineering, Wiley, 2012

*** Carl S. Calson, Effective FMEAs, Wiley, 2012

** N. Singpurwalla, Reliability and Risk: Bayesian Perspective, Wiley, 2006


The information on this page is indicative of the module that is currently on offer. The University constantly explores ways to enhance and improve its degree programmes and therefore reserves the right to make variations to the content and method of delivery of modules, and to discontinue modules, if such action is reasonably considered to be necessary. In some instances it may be appropriate for the University to notify and consult with affected students about module changes in accordance with the University's policy on the Approval of Modifications to Existing Taught Programmes of Study.