Abstract
Today we are observing a lot of injuries, casualties, and property losses that are mainly caused by the defects of products. In order to derive safety designs, which minimize the possibility of such product liability-related accidents, we need to take into account the user-product interaction as an important part of the danger factor analysis. Existing risk analysis techniques, however, have some limitations in detecting comprehensive danger factors that are peculiarly involved in human errors and the functional defects of products. Researches on danger factor analysis regarding the user-product interaction have been carried out actively in ergonomics. In this paper, we suggest a novel product risk analysis technique, which is more objective and systematic compared to the previous ones, by combining a modified TAFEI (Task Analysis For Error Identification) technique with SASA (Systematic Approach to Accident Scenario Analysis) technique. By applying this technique to the product design practice in industry, corporations will be able to improve the product safety, consequently strengthening the competitiveness.