Abstract
It is the obligation that all of us have in bringing engineering systems that are safe, reliable, and that will build public confidence in the technology. This talk is not about technology, it is about the obligations we have as engineers. Engineers and engineering managers need a questioning attitude, the cornerstone of a good safety culture. Our greatest accomplishments have sometimes come as the result of things we most sincerely wish had never happened -- accidents. Accidents do play a role in generating improvements in regulatory and industry performance. But they are not worth their cost. As engineers, we have the obligation to learn from our mistakes and not to hide from our failures. If we want to truly change the world, to protect the global environment, to raise the standard of living for people in poverty, we must be willing to learn what it means to have a safety culture.
