Reliability & Quality
The need for the continuous improvement of product quality, reliability and safety arises from product recalls, government regulatory requirements, agency recommendations, legal implications and above all a company's desire to gain competitive advantage and improve its market position and customer satisfaction. These issues require product manufacturers to perform risk analyses that identify and minimize system failures throughout a product's life cycle. A number of methodologies, including Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA), Failure Mode, and Effects Criticality Analysis (FMECA), Hazard and Operability Analysis (HAZOP) and Fault Tree Analysis (FTA), are used to identify hazards, evaluate the associated potential consequences and their likelihood, and then estimate the risk.
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Safety
There are various job safety standards including ANSI B11, Robotic Standard (ANSI/RIA R15.06), as well as various EN, CSA and JIS standards that apply to the manufacturing sector.
Despite these standards, the workers on the plant floor are subject to various hazards. In addition, workers may face repetitive tasks and lifting and fitting heavy objects. Workers may also operate powerful, high-speed machines that may cause injuries. In 2002, work-related injuries and illness for all manufacturing industries was 7.2 per 100 full-time workers. In comparison, work-related injuries and illness for the private sector overall was 5.3 per 100 full-time workers.
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