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 thMilford  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.

 

 

3Malfunctions  occurred  at nucleareactors 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 th Three Mile Island nuclear accident on March 28, 1979.