What is the need?

People working in different sectors, disciplines and international contexts talk about safety in complex systems in very different ways. This difference in vocabulary leads to barriers in communication which, in turn, stops much-needed collaboration and knowledge sharing.

Engineering X believes that a portfolio of case studies documenting key learnings from real-life events will help to create a common vocabulary for a diverse set of stakeholders.

What is the purpose?

• To create a portfolio of written case studies that each examine a complex system failure or success (past, present or potential) to show how a specific approach to the design, management or governance of a complex system results in safe or unsafe outcomes.
• To consider the underlying principles for success or failure in each approach, and to summarise this information as a set of generalised key learnings for each case study.
• To widely share these important learnings across sectors and disciplines to help create safer practices in complex systems globally.

How will case studies result in safer practice?

Case studies (containing generalised key learnings) will be shared with safety professionals in other sectors and disciplines to enable the learnings to be applied in new contexts. The target audiences for these case studies includes safety professionals in industry, academia, government and not-for-profit organisations globally.

Engineering X expects this Call for case studies to support the transfer of a successful approach from one sector to another (for example, the transfer of safety checklists from aviation to surgery), or the creation of new, safer approaches by combining two or more existing methods.

Who can apply?

Anyone is welcome to propose a case study. Engineering X particularly invites participants from industry, academia, media, regulation, policymaking, and not-for-profit organisations. We welcome responses from all countries, organisation types, sectors and disciplines. We encourage responses from women and other underrepresented groups in engineering.

How do I submit an application?

Applications are now open here >>