3. Towards better integration of safety into design

This brief presentation highlighted the fact that, whatever the nature of the industrial system, the human element continues to occupy an important place. However, its role remains ambiguous, as it is seen both as the weak link in the system, to be replaced whenever possible by automation and hardware systems (reputed to be more robust and reliable). But it is also seen as a resource, as the system's last hope when the technical system proves to be unavailable, faulty or degraded [4][15][37] .

This paradoxical vision clearly explains the difficulty of properly integrating the human element and, above all, the demands of its activities in today's...