Even if we’ve been educated as engineers strictly sticking to the principle quod demonstrandum erst (which is demonstrated) and to base our thoughts on numbers, it would be a big mistake to neglect our human nature, that makes us to perceive risk, and therefore subjectively predict its consequence(s).
Subjective risk perception is certainly useful as a primary source for risk prediction and consequent prevention but it can’t help much when we want or need to manage industrial or economical processes.
Reading LNS Research’s newsletter dated October 26, 2014, I was astonished at the capabilities of wearable devices as inputs to improve the efficiency of industrial processes.
WEARABLE DEVICES – YOUR PERSONAL REALTIME SPC DEVICE
Wearable devices that are presently most used by athletic people will soon become another revolution in our way of living, just the same as computers, laptops, mobile phones, tablets, e-readers.
They will also significantly improve IT and cyber processes security by preventing unauthorized intrusions.
Foreseeable uses of such wearable devices are almost infinite thinking in terms of risk prediction and risk prevention. I’m not aware of any statistical figure but I’m pretty sure that most risky conditions are consequences of human behavior. So, let’s look at a few problems and mistakes that could have been prevented.
My mother’s now 89. Five years ago, she had surgery on her right hip that has now become a big mess because the surgeon cut it half an inch too short.
When I was fifteen my nose was very often bleeding but no doctor could diagnose why. So they brought me to the hospital, where “somebody” burned some veins inside my nose. Having a very hot electrical welding device inside one’s nose is not pleasant at all, and makes it difficult to breath with constant pain.
Electronic wearable devices, when properly programmed, used and controlled, may have prevented the above human errors.
TODAY’S PRESSURES
We must not ignore the pressures that are upon us such as the need for money, a quiet life, a satisfactory career, and so on.
These pressures make us to make mistakes and errors. We need more and more to be self controlled but we cannot concentrate on self control because we have always something else or something more urgent to do.
In Roman times, an emperor had a slave beside him continuously whispering him memento mori (remember that you shall die). A proper wearable electronic device could be like the slave, providing the listener with adequate risk messaging.
We are all more or less educated. We get out of school or university. We attend training courses.
But our knowledge and our awareness are NOT maintained or current though we may undergo health tests to maintain our driving or whatever license once every so many years.
Is that enough to ensure that we continuously perform efficiently and manage risks?
Man is a variable system. Emotions come and go and they are very strong to affect our actions. Today we are not the same as we were yesterday and we don’t know how we’ll be tomorrow.
I like the idea of wearable risk devices. Just as it makes no sense to measure the blood pressure and pulsation once a day, a wearable electronic device that continuously keeps you under control and warns you “Hey! You are drifting away! Keep on track!” would be very useful indeed. Think of it as your personal real time SPC device.
It might be science fiction, who knows?
For the time being let’s content ourselves with looking for and at our personal risks, analyze them, and prevent them if possible.
Though I don’t personally share the ISO/DIS 2015 risk-based vision, I think there’s some kind of ice-breaker in it, and on this we should work and keep working.
Risk is something we have all to live with.