safety factor
1
4.9
- noun
- /ˈseɪfti ˈfæktər/
- Specialized
:
factor de seguridad
- Increasing the safety factor has costs, so in this case, further strengthening the skeleton would probably decrease mobility.
- apply additional safety factors
- safety factor in the design
- 150 percent safety factor
Examples
-
A 150 percent safety factor is often applied because of this statement.
Academic text (2005) -
To prevent failures, asafety factor of at least 1.5 is usually recommended in building designs.
-
The safety factor of three may be more conservative than was necessary.
Academic text (1993) -
In construction, crew communication is an important safety factor, as it is in aviation and in healthcare.
Academic text (2003) -
Due to unexpected dynamic conditions during driving, a safety factor must be added.
Academic text (1994) -
Inspection and conformance must be to the same degree as those for human safety factors in engineering design.
Academic text (1996) -
The ADI represents a lifelong daily exposure, and a significant safety factor has been applied to make these safe and conservative estimates.
Academic text (2000) -
So, if one thinks a house will average 100 gallons per day and one chooses a 150 percent safety factor, the septic system should be designed for 150 gallons per day.
Academic text (2005) -
Engineers often calculate asafety factor to ensure that structures can support unexpected loads.
-
When assessing a bridge, asafety factor is crucial to determine how much weight it can safely carry.
Synonyms
1
4.5
An extra amount beyond the minimum to keep something safe
1
3.7
An extra amount people keep to allow for errors and prevent harm
How many times stronger a structure or part is than the largest force it may meet in normal use
Surface Forms
Morphology
The noun combines 'safety' (protection from risk) and 'factor' (an element or measure), so a B1 learner would likely infer it is an element or measure related to safety. However, the precise technical sense — a numeric ratio expressing allowable load margin — is specialized and not fully predictable from the constituents alone, making it only partially transparent.
Etymology
Safety factor comes from engineering: engineers multiply the expected load by a factor so a beam or machine has extra safety. So it means the extra strength or 'margin' built in to a structure or part so it will not break.