6533b85efe1ef96bd12c0703

RESEARCH PRODUCT

Risk assessment of component failure modes and human errors using a new FMECA approach: application in the safety analysis of HDR brachytherapy

Ea TomarchioFrancesco CastigliaMariarosa Giardina

subject

HDR brachytherapySafety ManagementComputer sciencemedicine.medical_treatmentBrachytherapyHuman errorBrachytherapyRisk AssessmentRadiation ProtectionComponent (UML)medicineHumansComputer SimulationRadiation InjuriesWaste Management and Disposalhuman errorSettore ING-IND/19 - Impianti Nuclearirisk priority numberModels StatisticalFuzzy ruleMedical ErrorsIncidenceRank (computer programming)Public Health Environmental and Occupational HealthGeneral MedicineReliability engineeringEquipment Failure AnalysisSurvival RateFailure mode effects and criticality analysisEquipment FailurePatient Safetyfuzzy logicRadioactive Hazard ReleaseRisk assessmentFailure mode and effects analysisFMECA

description

Failure mode, effects and criticality analysis (FMECA) is a safety technique extensively used in many different industrial fields to identify and prevent potential failures. In the application of traditional FMECA, the risk priority number (RPN) is determined to rank the failure modes; however, the method has been criticised for having several weaknesses. Moreover, it is unable to adequately deal with human errors or negligence. In this paper, a new versatile fuzzy rule-based assessment model is proposed to evaluate the RPN index to rank both component failure and human error. The proposed methodology is applied to potential radiological over-exposure of patients during high-dose-rate brachytherapy treatments. The critical analysis of the results can provide recommendations and suggestions regarding safety provisions for the equipment and procedures required to reduce the occurrence of accidental events.

yearjournalcountryeditionlanguage
2014-11-07
10.1088/0952-4746/34/4/891http://hdl.handle.net/10447/98905