CSE 475 – Ethical and Professional Issues in Computer Science & Engineering

 

Professor Kevin W. Bowyer

 

 

Homework Four – Concepts and terminology in safety-critical systems.

 

Use the library to locate and read a copy of the article “Designing safety-critical systems,” by William R. Dunn, which appears in the November 2003 issue of Computer magazine.  You should be able to find the article if you go to the Notre Dame library on the web, search for “IEEE Explore,” go to “Journals and magazines,” and then to “Computer” electronic resources, then to 2003, then to November, and finally to the article.

 

After you have read the article, clearly explain the differences between the concepts of mishap, probability of mishap, consequences of mishap, mishap risk, and hazard.  Be warned that different authors may use different terms for the concepts, but the concepts are important.  Next, explain the differences between, and the value of, “failure modes and effects analysis,” “fault tree analysis,” and “risk analysis.”

 

Your response for this homework should be about two to three pages in length.