The status of reliability terminology in the national and international scene

From the I EC work on an international vocabulary of reliability which started in 1965 the paper reviews the present position, and shows how the vocabulary produced for electronic reliability has been used for engineering in general. It is further shown how in the UK, the vocabulary has been incorporated in the comprehensive glossary of terms and definitions covering all aspects of quality assurance. The basic conceptual aspects of reliability are also described and the problems encountered in arriving at some of the definitions are outlined. Finally the paper will consider the relationship between the considerations of reliability and those of the health and safety risks associated with product failure.