LEARNING FROM THE PAST

Engineers should learn not only from their own earlier design and operating results, but also from other engineers.

Engineers repeat the past mistakes of others due to the following reasons.

•  Lack of established channels of communication.

•  Misplaced pride in not asking for information

• Embarrassment at failure or fear of litigation (legal problems).

•  Negligence.

Examples:

1.   The Titanic lacked sufficient number of life boats resulting in the death of 1522 out of 2227 (life boat capacity available was only 825), a few decades later Arctic perished due to the same problem.

2.  In June 1966, a section of the  Milford Haven Bridge in Wales collapsed during construction. A bridge of similar design, erected by the same bridge- builder in Melbourne, Australia, also partially collapsed in the month of October, same year. During this incident 33 people were killed and many were injured.

3.  Malfunctions occurred at nuclear  reactors at various locations and the information reports were with Babcock and Wilcox, the reactor manufacturer. In spite of  these, no attention was paid leading to a pressure relief valve giving rise to the  Three Mile Island nuclear accident on March 28, 1979.