Effective application of ignition risk safety analysis

Aircraft manufacturers and their suppliers are required by the Federal Aviation Administration to perform special safety analyses of equipment installed within the fuel tank zone of aircraft. These analyses are required to verify the design is sufficiently safe regarding the prevention of ignition of fuel vapors during operations. The following provides guidance on a method that has successfully been used to document the results of a safety analysis performed to satisfy these requirements and complies with industry guidance. A block diagram of the safety analysis process that includes data flow from other sources is provided and explained. A simplified example is provided to walk through the steps performed during the analysis process.