Engineering Reliability Is the Subject of New Book

How Did That Happen? Engineering Safety and Reliability is the title of a new book covering safety, risk management, and maintenance and their role in preventing hazards.

The book by engineer and former Bechtel employee William Wong provides engineers with the knowledge and tools for identifying hazardous conditions and offers a step-by-step program for reducing the associated risks. Eleven chapters in the book cover the principles of risk management, as well as the engineer's legal obligations and professional responsibilities in the area of safety.

"How Did That Happen" cites some of the world's well-known disasters, among them the Chernobyl nuclear disaster and crash of the Concorde airliner, and presents analysis regarding human factors, safety integration, and systems maintenance.

The aim of the 227-page book is for engineers to draw lessons from engineering problems and disasters and know how to avoid them in the future. Wong says the book is dedicated to "To all engineers struggling to build a better and safer world."

Practical features of the book include illustrations, diagrams and tables, and a directory of organizations providing services in the engineering profession.

"How Did That Happen? Engineering Safety and Reliability" is a publication of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers in the United Kingdom. ASME International (American Society of Mechanical Engineers) is the exclusive distributor of the book in North America. To order call ASME at (800) 843-2763 (In New Jersey call (973) 882-1167).

ASME International is a 125,000-member organization focused on technical, educational and research issues. ASME conducts one of the world's largest technical publishing operations, holds numerous technical conferences worldwide, and offers hundreds of professional development courses each year. ASME sets internationally recognized industrial and manufacturing codes and standards that enhance public welfare and safety.