Hazard analysis process improvement from design, construction, and early operations

The National Science Foundation’s (NSF) Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope (DKIST) is a four-meter off-axis telescope on the island of Maui, Hawai'i. DKIST took its first light images in 2019, making it the most powerful solar telescope in the world. From the inception of DKIST, safety was a fundamental consideration. To ensure that hazard reduction was considered throughout a Hazard Analysis Team (HAT) was formed from members of the staff. This team conducted regular meetings during the design phases to analyze design choices, assess inter-system hazards, and to ensure compliance with safety standards. In addition to the core team members, subject matter experts were brought into the meetings when specific expertise was needed. A key understanding was that hazard analysis (HA) was not a single event or deliverable, but a continuous, managed process to ensure that hazards were properly identified, analyzed, and mitigated. As the design matured, the HAT continued meetings, retiring some hazards, while identifying new hazards. New hazards would appear not only because of changes in the design but also from a better understanding of the interaction between observatory systems. The DKIST is now beyond the construction phase and moving into operations yet we find that the HAT continues to be used to refine how hazards are handled and implement mitigations appropriately. Changes to the hazard analysis process itself were also implemented as we learned how to better handle our hazard analysis procedures. During the early design and construction phases, hazard analyses were a required contract deliverable, with the HAs conducted by individual sub-system vendors. As the project shifted from design into construction and eventually integration, the various hazard analyses had to be combined. New tools for tracking hazards and methods for on-line collaboration were added to aid continuing management of hazards as the project shifted from design to construction to operations.