Author: Neale, Michael;
Accepted: 17
August
2006
| Date Received: 1
June
2006
Abstract
This paper analyses the causes of a large number of engineering failures so that lessons can be learnt on how to avoid such failures in the future. Some of the causes are design errors and some are manufacturing and operating problems. The sites of the incidents and the companies involved are not disclosed, because otherwise the technical information could not be made available for general guidance. The paper provides an example of how professional engineers and their institutions could set up an anonymous data base of this kind to provide valuable guidance on future design and technical developments.