ABSTRACT
The objective of this research was to evaluate a risk assessment process based on the Functional Resonance Analysis Method (FRAM) (Hollnagel, 2012) as a practical tool within a manufacturing environment. Instead of focusing on the activities and events which can cause adverse outcomes, known as a Safety-I approach, this study uses risk assessment for detecting the sources of variability within activities and how this may lead to both negative and positive outcomes within the system; Hollnagel (2012) refers to this as a Safety-II approach. Four examples of work process from an upholstered seat manufacturer were assessed using a risk assessment process involving consultation with workers to determine sources of variability in the ‘work-as-done’. The data was mapped onto the FRAM six aspects to envision instantiations. The method provided a means of clearly articulating gaps in the system design impacting safety and productivity. FRAM was found to be an effective mechanism for revealing aspects of variability but required a greater resource commitment over regular risk assessment tools.
