Discussion of issues related to standardization of terminology in the area of dependability

January 30, 2014 the State Moscow University of Railway Engineering hosted a regular session of the permanent scientific seminar «Dependability and Quality of Systems Operations» of Russian Academy of Sciences and the International Academy of Sciences of Higher School. The session was presided over by professor I. B. Shubinsky, PhD. This time the session was devoted to the main issues of development of the interstate standard «Dependability in Equipment. Terms and Definitions».

• Deputy Chairman of Standardization Technical Committee TC 119 «Dependability in equipment» professor V.F. Netes, PhD, who gave an overview of Russian and international standards that had been developed in dependability terminology, and dwelt on the evolution of definitions of general concepts;
  
• Member of TC 119 Yu.I. Tarasyev who made a brief analysis of definitions of general concepts in GOST 27.002-89 «Industrial product dependability. General Concepts. Terms and Definitions», and IEC1 60050 (191):1990-12 «Dependability and quality of service».

Also, active part in the discussion was taken by Chairman of TC 119 professor G.N. Cherkesov, PhD, professor B.M. Petrov, PhD, member of TC 119 V.L. Shper, PhD, expert of TC IEC 56 «Dependability» G.F. Bogdanova, PhD.

The very first attempt to standardize terminology in dependability was made in 1962 when the USSR Academy of Sciences issued a collection of terms: «Theory of Dependability in Radio Electronics – Terminology». 27 years later there appeared GOST 27.002-89 «Industrial product dependability. General Concepts. Terms and Definitions», the standard still used nowadays. Practically simultaneously, in 1990 the international standard IEC60050 (191):1990-12 «Dependability and quality of service» was issued. However, terms and definitions of some general concepts in both standards differ.

It is worth to mention that since January 1, 2011 Russia introduced a national standard GOST R 27.002-2009 «Dependability in equipment. Terms and definitions», which was in fact a translated version of the first issue of IEC 60050 (191) and annulled the use of GOST 27.002-89 on the territory of the Russian Federation. However, with its introduction the new standard began to evoke critical comments, as it not fully corresponded to the established national practice in the area of dependability based on GOST 27.002-89. After a number of discussions in 2012, a decision was made to cease the application of GOST R 27.002-2009 and to resume the application of the previous standard GOST.

At present IEC revises the international standard and prepares its second issue. The revision of GOST 27.002-89 has also started, and that is what the workgroup TC 119 «Dependability in equipment» is doing.

The major objective for development of the new terminology standard is to find a compromise between harmonization with the international standard and consideration of the practice already established in the area of dependability in Russia. This issue is particularly critical since harmonization with international standards is necessary but foreign approaches cannot and should not be adopted as a pattern, without national developments taken into account (the failure of such experience has been already demonstrated by abandonment of GOST R 27.002-2009). Therefore, the workgroup TC 119 makes every effort for this new standard to correspond to this requirement, to be of high quality and clear to all users.