Safety Analysis of the Teaching Heart
Safety is a critical component of the design process; it is of the utmost importance to ensure that the device is safe to both the users and bystanders. Fortunately, the Teaching Heart device does not incorporate any functions or materials that are considered to be hazardous. That being stated, it is the goal of the design team to ensure that no one is harmed while using the Teaching Heart device. Therefore, the design team ran a complete risk analysis on the hazards that could potentially arise while using the model. The initial step in the assessing the risk associated with the Teaching Heart model is determining the potential hazards stemming from both proper and improper uses, maintenance, and storage.
First, the team considered hazards related to the mechanical properties of materials used in the Teaching Heart model. The breakdown or malfunction of these materials could result in hazards to the user or passersby. A rupture of the tubing used to model the vasculature or compromised connections between components would result in the spilling of the circulatory medium. A sizeable emphasis of the design specifications was placed on the year-to-year sustainability of the device, so the likelihood of this occurring is minor. Therefore the risk associated with the mechanical properties of the device is deemed negligible. However, improper maintenance and storage habits may decrease the lifespan of the materials. Therefore, proper maintenance and storage instructions will explicitly state the conditions that can result in damage to the system as well as state the appropriate methods of storage when the device is not in use.
A multitude of hazardous scenarios can arise from spills or ruptures that result in potential slips, trips, or falls. Water itself is relatively harmless and poses no sizeable safety concerns to the user, nor does it expedite the breakdown of the material components of the Teaching Heart model. However, spills can happen not only after material failure, but also during filling and draining the device. To account for this hazard, succinct and specific stepwise instructions would accompany the Teaching Heart model to ensure that the user takes the necessary precautions to avoid spilling medium when filling or draining the system. Spills present a potential hazard to both users and passersby. The likelihood of this hazard can be abated by proper care to avoid spilling as well as insisting that users clean any spills immediately.
Hazardous situations can also arise from negligent placement of the device. This implies placing the device in a compromising location, such as: on the floor in a main walkway of a laboratory or classroom, placing the device near the edge of a lab bench or desk, or placing the device on an unstable surface (desk cluttered with other items, tables near high traffic areas, etc.). Such placement poses possible risk to both users and passersby. It is difficult to account for human error, but explicit warnings will be implemented into the user manual that highlight these types of hazards. In addition to illustrating the potential pitfalls, tips for safe use will be stated in the user manual for the device.
DesignSafe 6 software is used to provide a formal structure to generate and interpret the risk associated with the Teaching Heart model. See below for the DesignSafe output.
First, the team considered hazards related to the mechanical properties of materials used in the Teaching Heart model. The breakdown or malfunction of these materials could result in hazards to the user or passersby. A rupture of the tubing used to model the vasculature or compromised connections between components would result in the spilling of the circulatory medium. A sizeable emphasis of the design specifications was placed on the year-to-year sustainability of the device, so the likelihood of this occurring is minor. Therefore the risk associated with the mechanical properties of the device is deemed negligible. However, improper maintenance and storage habits may decrease the lifespan of the materials. Therefore, proper maintenance and storage instructions will explicitly state the conditions that can result in damage to the system as well as state the appropriate methods of storage when the device is not in use.
A multitude of hazardous scenarios can arise from spills or ruptures that result in potential slips, trips, or falls. Water itself is relatively harmless and poses no sizeable safety concerns to the user, nor does it expedite the breakdown of the material components of the Teaching Heart model. However, spills can happen not only after material failure, but also during filling and draining the device. To account for this hazard, succinct and specific stepwise instructions would accompany the Teaching Heart model to ensure that the user takes the necessary precautions to avoid spilling medium when filling or draining the system. Spills present a potential hazard to both users and passersby. The likelihood of this hazard can be abated by proper care to avoid spilling as well as insisting that users clean any spills immediately.
Hazardous situations can also arise from negligent placement of the device. This implies placing the device in a compromising location, such as: on the floor in a main walkway of a laboratory or classroom, placing the device near the edge of a lab bench or desk, or placing the device on an unstable surface (desk cluttered with other items, tables near high traffic areas, etc.). Such placement poses possible risk to both users and passersby. It is difficult to account for human error, but explicit warnings will be implemented into the user manual that highlight these types of hazards. In addition to illustrating the potential pitfalls, tips for safe use will be stated in the user manual for the device.
DesignSafe 6 software is used to provide a formal structure to generate and interpret the risk associated with the Teaching Heart model. See below for the DesignSafe output.
DesignSafe Report
Below is an in-depth risk analysis report conducted on the Teaching Heart model using the DesignSafe software.