We work with clients to build confidence that they
- achieve benefits from deploying high technology systems
- understand the associated hazards and their mitigations
- comply with legislation and compensate in a principled manner where appropriate
- understand and address the vulnerabilities in systems
- creatively demonstrate that risks are ALARP (As low as reasonably practicable)
- can respond to regulatory challenge and changes to standards.
Building on our industrial research in this area, we develop safety cases for both legacy equipment and new procurements, and also provide safety engineering support, including carrying out hazard analysis and risk assessment.
We appreciate that every client’s need is different. We offer customised consulting and mentoring programmes to assist clients in becoming proficient in the development and adoption of safety and assurance cases. For an example of our collaborative approach please read our press release with the Clarion Housing Group.
We published the first safety case development manual for computer-based systems (ASCAD) based on Claims, Arguments and Evidence (CAE) and funded by the nuclear industry. We played a major role in the early defence standards that introduced the concept of structured cases into UK Mod and we have been actively supporting the medical sector in meeting FDA requirements. We have worked on a wide range of systems in defence, transport, finance and medical sectors and we have particular expertise in systems with a significant digital content (e.g. computer based, software, FPGAs). Since 2009 we have been developing an integrated approach to security-informed safety cases.
Our software tool, ASCE, supports the development management of safety and assurance cases (as well as the main GSN and CAE notations).
We have published many papers on safety and assurance. Please visit our resources page for copies of these papers.