System Safety for the 21st Century, 2nd Edition

CHAPTER 3Current Approaches to System Safety

DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

MIL‐STD‐882

As this edition is published, the current MIL‐STD‐882D is the “D” version and, therefore, a discussion of that approach to system safety implementation follows. The “D” version responds to changes in the defense acquisition procedures and is no longer the source for safety‐related data item descriptions (the formal, detailed requirements associated with defense procurement contracts). Therefore, for several reasons, the more detailed methods of implementation of previous versions of the military standard are retained because they are still valid. This is for two reasons. First, there are some government contracts with very long periods of performance or those that have been renewed multiple times that still refer to the earlier standard version. Second, and perhaps more importantly, the implementation method of the previous versions provides a guide for implementation of the newer “standard practice.”

In a memorandum to the Defense Acquisition Community, the following was quoted about system safety:

Department of Defense policy is to rely on performance based requirements whenever practicable and to not require standard management approaches or manufacturing processes in solicitations and contracts. By establishing performance requirements and then relying on contractors to meet those requirements, we dramatically reduce contractual call‐out of specific specifications and standards and enable ...