ELBowTie - use of big data in safety analysis

The first of 3 papers has hit the streets!


https://lnkd.in/eaAge_u

Definition of big data for use in safety assessments utilising - ELBowTie for managing real time safety analysis.

Minecraft training

Today's the day for attending a Minecraft training day at the University of Manchester!

Fact finding session thoughts begin.

Before going in my thoughts are:

1 I've seen my lads playing this game and it looks pretty simple. It seems to be a bit like Lego on steroids.

2 So you can construct great structures. I can see how this could be used to aid some sort of design process. Something akin to VR but  using blocks?

3 What I want to find out is can it be used for non construction training. Say for example safety engineering training, risk assessments and the like?

Okay here we go:

What a brilliant day! Got much more out of it than anticipated. Especially when the Internet connection dropped out giving more time to bombard the organisers with questions.

In answer to Q3  above the answer is yes. We had ideas of building for example a level crossing and injecting in guidance on design standards to aid knowledge based learning. Another idea was to inject failure rates into parts of the design to aid appreciation on safety and reliability effects.

The big idea was however to look to get youngsters involved in the railway arena through the design of their local station. Then to look for improvements and risks associated with the design. Needs a bit of through on exactly how to make this entertaining but we all though that it would be doable through the primary school tech programmes.

All in all - very impressed - off to learn how to programme in Python!

2015 start of a new era

Well 2015 all in all was a bit of a blast. Not only did it herald in the start of my new business NTTX Advisory and winning a couple of sizeable contract it also saw me getting back to a bit of research.

The business is now up and running with things moving a lot faster that I originally intended. Which hasn't done much for my early semi-retirement plan but has been great fun and given me a reboot on a number of fronts.

The research and development has resulted in 2 papers both to be presented this year. One in Sardinia and the other in Brussels. Both on the use of 'big data' in risk assessment. On the back of this work we are developing a software product called ELBowTie which will implement the approach by integrating enterprise data into a living risk management tool. All very exciting! Well done to the Dev team of Alex, Richardsthe and Ray in getting this off the ground while not being paid for any of it! It is a bootstrap startup after all!

A lot of code designing went on last year - which is a step in the right direction with respect to the revival plan.

HAPPY NEW YEAR

Hackathons - the rise!

Corporate led hackathons are what I'm mulling over.

Hackathon or Exploitathon - that's all I have to say.

The Potential for Using Big Data Analytics to Predict Safety Risks by Analysing Rail Accidents

Railways 2016

The Third International Conference on
Railway Technology:
Research, Development and Maintenance

Cagliari, Sardinia, Italy
5-8 April 2016

My first research paper in over 25 years will be presented at the above conference! 

Big Data what does it mean for safety management. 

The Potential for Using Big Data Analytics to Predict Safety Risks by Analysing Rail Accidents.

Dr Howard Parkinson CEng FIMechE MIRSE

Rail System Engineering Limited

Dr Gary Bamford FBCS, CEng, CITP

NTTX Advisory Limited

Plus we have 'invented' a new safety product, plus the conference is in Sardinia - can't wait. It's all top-secret until next April of course.

Now working on the follow on paper ..... onward and upward!

Big Data accidents

I am getting to hate the term but appear to be being dragged into the 'Big Data' foray. Everyone seems to be rabbiting on about it so though I may as well have a go too.

I'm running the risk of letting the cat out of the bag here as myself and a colleague Howard Parkinson (contact site http://www.railsystems.org) are in the process of writing a couple of papers on the subject. Both papers have a focus on its use in the management of safety within the rail industry.

The idea is to investigate how 'Big Data' and it's sidekick 'Analytics' can be used to help prevent accidents.

One thorny issue which has come up right at the start relates to the collection of personal data. We have generated a safety data taxonomy - business, operational, asset, social, personal etc, as part of the study. Of course safety management has a focus on the people and a large fraction of accidents are caused by - people. So, our study may be a short one if the data that matters for the 'analytics bit' is driven by staff related information. Not sure the rail industry is ready for that one with all its security and privacy issues.

We shall see - more later ......

Safety Risk Management Training

Another phase of the revival involves training provision!

Just released an overview of our safety risk management training courses - see following link.

https://sites.google.com/site/oldbam/factsheets/safety-and-risk-management-training

There are big elements of system design and software simulation in all this so make sure you know what your doing (see previous posts).

Hopefully the training pack will help bring through some new physics/engineering/computing talent.