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Systems Engineering and Architecture

Systems Engineering and Architecture

System Safety Engineering

System safety engineering is an engineering discipline that employs specialized knowledge and skills in applying scientific and engineering principles, criteria, and techniques to identify hazards and then to eliminate the hazards or reduce the associated risks when the hazards cannot be eliminated.

MIL-STD 882E, DoD Standard Practice System Safety is a key element of systems engineering that provides a standard, generic method for identifying, classifying, and mitigating hazards.

DoD is committed to protecting personnel from accidental death, injury, or occupational illness, including mitigating risk to civilians from harm, and to safeguarding defense systems, infrastructure, and property from accidental destruction or damage while executing mission requirements of national defense. Within mission requirements, the DoD also will ensure the quality of the environment is protected to the maximum extent practical. Integral to these efforts is the use of a system safety approach to identify hazards and manage the associated risks. A key DoD objective is to expand the use of this system safety methodology to integrate risk management into the overall systems engineering process rather than addressing hazards as operational considerations.

DoD engineers use the systems engineering process to influence system designs during all stages of the defense acquisition life cycle to mitigate identified hazards. The system safety engineering process applies to both hardware and software within the system or its associated system of systems (SoS).

With the increase in autonomous systems, artificial intelligence features, and the growing volume and complexity of software within systems, it is imperative to further develop and optimize the system safety engineering discipline to address these challenges.

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Strategic Direction

DoD is committed to fielding systems that are safe for Warfighters and for the public. DoD continues to incorporate this requirement into current system technologies and in the research and engineering for future technologies such as autonomous systems and artificial intelligence.

Communities and Working Groups

Joint Weapon Safety Working Group (JWSWG)

The weapon system safety community from the Services collaborate through the Joint Weapon Safety Working Group. The group was chartered by DoD Instruction 5000.69, DoD Joint Services Weapon and Laser System Safety Review Processes. The group meets periodically to address safety challenges facing the community.

DoD System Safety Roundtable

The system safety discipline is establishing a System Safety Roundtable to tackle current and emerging challenges. The working groups established by the Roundtable process engage these challenges with both Government and industry participants.

Joint System Safety Standards Working Group (JSSSWG)

Updating MIL-STD 882E Update/Non Government Standards (NGSs), Chartered September 2021

Joint Services- Software Safety Authorities (JS-SSA)

Reviewing Joint Software System Safety Programs

Civilian Harm Mitigation and Response (CHMR)

Defense Safety Oversight Council (DSOC)

Service-Specific Safety Communities

Air Force airmen install wings on an advanced medium-range air-to-air missile during a loading competition at Kadena Air Base, Japan, Nov. 30, 2021. Crews must be proficient in performing approximately 800 critical steps that maintain the safety, security and reliability of weapons systems.
Air Force airmen install wings on an advanced medium-range air-to-air missile during a loading competition at Kadena Air Base, Japan, Nov. 30, 2021. Crews must be proficient in performing approximately 800 critical steps that maintain the safety, security and reliability of weapons systems.
Acquisition Safety Steering Committee (ASSC) Community of Practice (Navy)
Directed Energy Weapons Safety Board (DEWSB) (Air Force)
Non-Nuclear Munitions Safety Board (NNMSB) (Air Force)
Nuclear Weapons System Safety Group (NWSSG) (Air Force)
Department of the Army System Safety Council (DASSC)
Army Weapon System Safety Review Board (AWSSRB)

Resources

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Contact Us

For more information, contact osd.r-e.comm@mail.mil using the following subject line: Attn SE&A/SSE 

Office of the Under Secretary of Defense,
Research and Engineering (OUSD(R&E))
3030 Defense Pentagon, Washington, DC 20301-3030