Profile

The Australian Safety Critical Systems Association (aSCSa) is a non profit organisation established for promoting the co-operation of academic, industrial, commercial and governmental organisations in relation to the practice and advancement of safety-related systems, in particular those systems containing software, in Australia.

The activities of the Association are directed towards providing national leadership, facilitation and the co-ordination of professional Association activities, and encouraging member contribution relating to safety-related systems, particularly those containing software.

Background

Computer systems and embedded computers pervade all aspects of modern daily life, and many implement functions that have the potential to cause death or injury if they do not operate correctly. Some of these systems include emergency service dispatch, car braking, aircraft flight controls, railway control and telecommunications systems. These systems are not safe by accident but require safety to be designed into them.

The Australian Computer Society was established in 1966 as a result of the merger of then existing State based computer societies. It has become the recognised association for IT professionals, attracting a large and active membership from all levels of the IT industry, and providing a wide range of services and opportunities for networking and career enhancement.

The Technical Committee on Safety Critical Systems was established in 1992 to provide policy and technical advice to the ACS in matters of safety for computerbased systems and since 1996, has conducted an annual workshop, the Australian Workshop on Industrial Experience with Safety Critical Systems and Software.

Computer systems and embedded computers pervade all aspects of modern daily life, and many implement functions that have the potential to cause death or injury if they do not operate correctly. Some of these systems include emergency service dispatch, car braking, aircraft flight controls, railway control and telecommunications systems. These systems are not safe by accident but require safety to be designed into them.

The Australian Computer Society was established in 1966 as a result of the merger of then existing State based computer societies. It has become the recognised association for IT professionals, attracting a large and active membership from all levels of the IT industry, and providing a wide range of services and opportunities for networking and career enhancement.

The Technical Committee on Safety Critical Systems was established in 1992 to provide policy and technical advice to the ACS in matters of safety for computerbased systems and since 1996, has conducted an annual workshop, the Australian Workshop on Industrial Experience with Safety Critical Systems and Software.

Then in October 2002, in conjunction with the annual workshop being held in Adelaide, the Technical Committee on Safety Critical Systems launched the Australian Safety Critical Systems Club (aSCSc) as a means to perhaps sustain and develop the awareness of the issues being presented at the workshops.

Chapter launches were also held in Perth on the 10th October 2002, Melbourne on the 21st October 2002, Canberra on the 25th March 2003, Sydney on the 1st July 2003 and Brisbane on the 26th August 2003.

Then, at the AGM held at the 2005 workshop, it was agreed that the we would change our name from the Australian Safety Critical Systems Club to the Australian Safety Critical Systems Association (aSCSa).

Mission Statement

Raise the awareness of the engineering and wider community of the safety issues specific to software-intensive systems and to provide leadership and guidance.

Purpose

Specifically, the aSCSa's purpose is to:

• Provide a national focus and forum for its members who have an interest in safety related systems, particularly those systems containing software.
• Provide professional services for all categories of its membership.
• Stimulate the active contribution and participation of its members in the development and dissemination of safety-related systems knowledge and to
  support the activities of the Society.
• Foster and support education and training associated with all aspects of safety related systems.
• To provide learned society functions for individuals and industry groups and to provide practice based opinion and advice for the Society.