Assessment of hazard identification methods for the automotive domain

Abstract

Many automotive electronic systems are safety related and therefore need to be developed using a safety process. A preliminary hazard analysis, PHA, is one of the first and vital steps in such a process. In this paper, two methods with different approaches are experimentally evaluated using an electrical steering column lock system. The two methods are an adapted FFA, functional failure analysis, method based on induction with generic failure modes and a method from ESA based on induction with generic low level hazards. In the evaluation, interviews and questionnaires are used to triangulate the results. Both methods are found to be applicable for hazard identification in the automotive system context. The experiments conducted also show, with statistical significance, that the adapted FFA method is less time consuming and easier to use than the ESA method. Hence, the FFA method is found to be more suitable for hazard identification in early phases of development in this context. © Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2006.