System Safety Program Plan (SSPP)

The System Safety Program Plan is one of the most important system safety documents. The SSPP is the foundation for all system safety analyses and demonstrations. The SSPP describes in detail the tasks and activities of system safety management and system safety engineering required to identify, analyze, and mitigate hazards by reducing their associated risks to acceptable levels throughout the system life cycle.

Unless a SAR has been deemed adequate for a project, there should be an SSPP. No exceptions!

The approved SSPP provides a formal basis of understanding between the contractor and the customer to ensure that adequate consideration is given to safety during all life cycle phases of the program and to establish a formal, disciplined program to achieve the system safety objectives.

Sometimes we see Integrated System Safety Program Plans (ISSPP) which are required when we have large complex systems involving multiple subcontractors. In some cases we have distinct plans covering product development, construction, T&C, and O&M. Sometimes there are unique safety plans such as FRA’s Railroad Safety Program Plan (RSPP).

It is often the case that too little emphasis is placed on this document. A poorly written SSPP can be and has been very detrimental to both customer and contractor. For one thing, they are an immediate target of lawyers should an accident occur. Some of our clients can attest to this. The lawyers start with the contents (both its commitments and its non-commitments), then they will subpoena the people that signed it regardless of where they currently work. Is your signature on an SSPP?

If system safety effort is underway without a solid, defensible SSPP in place, you are in trouble and will pay dearly for this later in the program. This is true even if an SSPP is not required by contract.

One of the particularly sensitive areas of an SSPP is hazard risk assessment and the associated matrix. You would not believe the mess that people have got themselves into in this area!

One more thing. If your system contains safety-related software, you should have a Software Safety Program Plan (SwSPP) or a software safety section in your SSPP.

DANGER - Easily 80% of the SSPPs that we have seen, throughout our 20+ years of operation, have had serious flaws and omissions. Some of the worst we have seen have been in the North American light rail and heavy rail sector. It would appear that many organizations are over-confident in this area. We recently reviewed a commuter rail SSPP - problems!

 

Contact HCRQ to:

• create the SSPP for you,
• train you on how to put one together,
• sell you a very comprehensive DID, or
• review and comment on your SSPP before it is issued (A little money spent now could save you a lot of money later. Do you remember the 1971 Fram Oil Filter campaign with the tag line "you can pay me now or pay me later"? How true!).

You won't regret it!
It is your choice - you can spend a little now or potentially, a whole lot later.
Do you want to be the person who decided that your SSPP is good enough?
REMEMBER - this is your systems' foundation safety document.