The Future of Safety and Health: A Challenge to Engineering Managers

Engineers always have considered safety in their decisions on design concepts and design criteria. But the values of our society are changing, and so different emphases are necessary in these decisions. This paper reviews three approaches to safety, the multiple values which our society uses when evaluating the work of engineers, and the principles of engineering design. The interaction of these factors is discussed, resulting in suggestions to guide engineers and managers in making design decisions for the future.