The Safety Engineering Group of Cobham plc business unit ERA Technology has an international reputation for producing thorough and effective Safety Cases for high integrity systems.

A recent project required ERA’s Project Team Leader, Michael Salter, to swap the flying suit that he normally wears when flying with his RAF Reserve Squadron at weekends for an immersion suit loaned from the Royal Marines (see below). The project team relocated to an off-shore location to work on a Safety Case that required the assessment of all hazards associated with the maintenance, loading, transportation, despatch and recovery of a new Rigid Inflatable Boat (RIB) system from a Hercules C-130J as used by the Royal Marines.

Michael Salter, ERA's Project Team Leader	The Rigid Inflatable Boat (RIB) system is deployed from a Hercules C-130J

This Safety Case is one of several being produced by ERA for the Airborne Delivery Branch of the Hercules Integrated Project Team based at RAF Wyton in Cambridgeshire. The assessment of trials such as the one shown is part of a staged process to ensure that, when Released for Service, the risk to the aircrew and the Royal Marines is reduced to ‘As Low as Reasonably Practicable’.

Michael Salter, Project Team Leader, commented: “People trust their lives and livelihoods to these Safety Cases and we never forget that. We work very closely with the IPT team at RAF Wyton to ensure that all hazards are identified and mitigated to an acceptable level of risk. This process takes us to some interesting locations, as evident in this project, although the full immersion suit was very welcome given the cold air and water temperatures!”

ERA has developed a systematic methodology for delivering this type of risk assessment and producing the legally required safety arguments, which has already been adopted by many of our customers responsible for safety critical systems. Michael Salter explains and demonstrates this staged process in the workshop phase of ERA’s Safety Case Development training course, which is presented at ERA’s site in Leatherhead (further details at: http://shop.era.co.uk). For more information about ERA’s Safety Engineering services, please contact: kevin.moore@cobham.com or visit: www.era.co.uk/safetyengineering

About ERA Technology Ltd

ERA Technology works at the leading edge of advanced technology consultancy and design. The business provides specialist, high value-added, technology-based services including design and development, testing, assessment and expert advice.

The company has built an international reputation for technical expertise through constant innovation. ERA's services reduce technical and commercial risk, improve the operational performance of engineering infrastructure assets, and develop and enhance the competitiveness of products and systems.

ERA Technology is a part of the Cobham Avionics and Surveillance Division of Cobham plc.

For more information, please contact: marketing@era.co.uk