Playing it safe

Standards, improved tools help developers comply with safety regulations.

Design engineers have always attempted to make their products as safe as possible, but they're continuing to get more incentives to sharpen their focus on safety. Litigators and regulators are forcing developers to think about safety during every step as products move from concept to field usage.

Legislative demands and the threat of potential lawsuits are driving a new focus on avoiding any failure that could cause damage or injury. Design engineers are getting help from many different groups. Tool suppliers are doing more to help engineers avoid mistakes, while standards bodies are providing guidelines that help ensure that design processes will reduce the potential for errors.