Quality assurance & product liability: how one can provide the best protection against the other

A complete and total quality system, sensibly implemented, can minimise the risks to both companies and individuals within companies. It has been estimated that product liability risks will be increased by a factor of at least 60, when Europe lifts the barriers to compensation claims for defective products. The author will consider the historical background of quality which has resulted in a lack of understanding of, and therefore of attention to, the quality which includes safety aspects of design and specification. The result shortcomings in many companies and the remedies that can be applied are also discussed