Dependability began to take shape in the 1960s, particularly in critical sectors such as aerospace, nuclear energy, and automotive industries. Before this period, the safety of technical systems was not systematically considered, and many major accidents occurred, often due to design failures or a lack of rigorous risk control. The interest in dependability was catalyzed by several industrial accidents and large-scale catastrophes, which highlighted the importance of better understanding and managing the risks associated with complex systems.
Major Accidents Due to Poor Design and Lack of Dependability
Here are some of the most significant accidents directly related to design flaws or insufficient risk consideration, outside of the workplace safety domain:
- The Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Explosion (1986)
This accident is one of the most tragic examples of a design flaw in the field of nuclear safety. The Chernobyl disaster was caused by a combination of factors, including a defective reactor design and poor safety procedure management. It led to disastrous environmental and health consequences, with thousands of deaths due to radiation over several years. - The Comet Flight Accident (1954)
The de Havilland Comet was the first commercial jetliner. Shortly after entering service, several accidents occurred due to metal fatigue around the windows, caused by poor design. These accidents resulted in numerous fatalities and forced a complete revision of aircraft design methods to better account for safety. - The Sinking of the Titanic (1912)
Although this accident occurred before the formal rise of the dependability concept, it remains an iconic case. The Titanic was designed with a system of watertight compartments that should have made it unsinkable. However, design flaws, such as bulkheads that did not extend high enough, allowed water to spread, leading to the sinking and the loss of over 1,500 lives. - The Challenger Shuttle Accident (1986)
The Challenger space shuttle disaster was due to the failure of the O-ring on the solid rocket booster, which had not been designed to withstand low temperatures during launch. This design failure, combined with pressure to meet launch deadlines, led to the shuttle’s explosion shortly after liftoff, killing all seven astronauts on board. - The Bhopal Disaster (1984)
This industrial accident in Bhopal, India, is considered one of the greatest chemical disasters in history. A leak of methyl isocyanate gas at a pesticide plant, caused by poor maintenance management and inadequate safety devices, resulted in the immediate deaths of several thousand people and left tens of thousands with severe injuries. - The Erika Shipwreck (1999)
This oil tanker broke in two off the coast of Brittany, causing a massive oil spill. The accident was partly attributed to a design flaw in the ship, including inadequate maintenance and insufficient inspections of the vessel’s structure. This incident highlighted the need to strengthen design and safety standards for ships. - The Seveso Plant Fire (1976)
In Italy, a chemical plant released a toxic cloud of dioxin, causing severe environmental damage and affecting the health of thousands of people. The accident led to the creation of the European Seveso Directive, which imposes strict rules for risk management in industrial facilities.
Impact and Evolution in Enterprises
These disasters led to greater awareness of the need for dependability in the design and management of complex systems. It was in the 1970s and 1980s that the first safety and dependability standards (such as MIL-STD standards in the United States and EN standards in Europe) began to be systematically applied in sensitive sectors such as aerospace, automotive, and nuclear industries. These standards help better regulate the design, maintenance, and operation of systems while aiming to prevent major risks from the earliest stages of development.
Thus, dependability gradually became institutionalized in the 1960s and 1970s, in response to serious accidents caused by design failures.