| With this issue
of the journal, the first one of 2004, we set
another milestone. The JSS electronic
edition, which started out as something of an
experiment and perhaps just a curiosity to some,
is now a full-fledged and thriving part of Journal
of System Safety's publication cycle. Gone
are the separate volume and issue numbers and
the "new — check it out!" label.
Now there are simply six issues of the journal
per year, with the same features you have come
to depend on.
There are differences, of course. The four print
issues can fit in your briefcase or create an
impressive display in your office. They lend themselves
easily to underlining or tabbing, and to handing
out to prospective employers or customers. On
the other hand, the electronic edition is techno-savvy
and modern, and accessible at the click of a button.
It's trash-proof, now-where-did-I-put-it proof,
and readable anywhere there's an Internet connection.
Neat!
This issue's lead articles focus on analysis,
and offer us new ways to look at our system safety
tasks. Dr. Paul Ray's article, "A Review
of Risk Analysis Tools Successful in Project Management,"
gives us some helpful guidelines resulting from
a study conducted at his university. Meanwhile,
Felix Redmill challenges our traditional ways
of thinking in the second of his articles on subjectivity
in hazard analysis. We are honored to present
them both.
Equally as thought-provoking are the regular features
in this issue. Charlie Hoes' TBD column —
a regular feature of the print edition that makes
its first electronic appearance with this issue
— explores safety culture and its effect
on violence, a topic that strikes a chord with
all of us. Paul Kryska's thoughtful President's
Message focuses on safety engineering skills and
the erroneous perception that they belong only
to the defense industries. Here at JSS,
we applaud this bold statement that I'm sure will
challenge many long-held beliefs.
I have often puzzled over the fact that the American
Society of Safety Engineers has a five-digit membership
roster while the System Safety Society's struggles
to break one thousand. But this, again, goes back
to perceptions and the fact that our current membership
is so heavily grounded in defense contracts. This
is a roadblock, and we need to find a detour.
To most of the world, "weapon system safety"
is an oxymoron, and the space station is an interesting
phenomenon but far removed from our daily lives.
Yet all of us encounter system safety on a daily
basis. It's system safety practitioners (managers
and engineers) who keep our airbags from deploying
prematurely and our anti-lock brakes from causing
an accident. They're the ones who ensure that
the newest medical machines don't kill their operators
or patients, and that our banks' computer systems
don't spew out our personal data to thieves and
terrorists. The fact is that system safety is
a very important part of our everyday lives. People,
and the wealth of non-defense system safety professionals
out there, just need to realize it. And the many
non-defense managers and engineers need to understand
that they are system safety practitioners.
We're all in an excellent position to help make
this happen. Start with this issue of JSS.
Share it with your friends and colleagues in other
professions, from the specialist in nuclear medicine
to the commercial software developer to the local
dry cleaner. If we each do that, we're well on
our way around the roadblock.
"System safety" is for all of us, and
it's simply good sense.
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