Technology Insights
Understanding Disasters
1978 Ford Pinto Fire-Balls
2000 Concorde Explosion - Fuel Tank Puncture
1978 Hartford Roof Collapse - CAD/FEA Design Error
1980 Kielland Oil Rig - Crack in Build
2017 Grenfell Fire - Cladding Rapid Fire Spread
1986 Challenger Explosion - Too cold for O ring Seal
2022 Climate Change Accidents
Small Molecules
Soft Mist Nebuliser
Combination Treatments
Low GWP Propellants
Triples
Biologics
4 Drug Systems?
Gene Therapy
Lack of Care
Money First – Safety Last
Low Cost Maintenance
Negligence in One Detail
Chance Takers
Poor Communications
Pride before Safety
Ignorance
Incompetent Leaders
Un-skilled Maintenance
Inexperienced Design Team
Responsible Personal Power Grab
Lack of Precedent
Lack of research
Pilot Error
Lack of Care or Ignorance cause most man-made Engineering failures. Greed causing poor engineering choices is putting money before safety of the product user. Unexpected occurrences, such as ‘product abuse’ also cause failures – lack of robustness. Climate change is one occurrence that means products need to survive even greater environmental stress factors – become even more robust.
Grenfell Tower 2017 | 72 UK deaths | 5 Year inquiry & investigation
Ford Pinto 1978 | USA est. 500 Burn deaths | 1.5 Million fuel tank replacement recall
Challenge Shuttle 1986
USA 7 Crew deaths
Presidential investigation report 1986.
Grenfell Inquiry Report – not yet published.
The challenger exploded during a cold day launch. Roger Boisjoly the sealing expert advised that the seal would fail due to the cold. Ultimately NASA overruled Boisjoly’s advice.
The Pinto fiel tank fire-ball hazard was known by Ford Management. They delayed recall as the claims were cheaper than a 1.5 million vehicle recall.
Small molecules, combination treatments, triples, 4 drug systems, soft mist nebuliser, low-gap propellants