Anatomy of an incident: A hydrogen gas leak showcases the need for antifragile safety systems

As research environments grow more complex, the number of possible failure points increases beyond what can be predicted. To address this issue, some safety professionals have embraced the concept of antifragility. A recent gas leak incident at the Cambridge Centre for Advanced Research and Education in Singapore illustrates this. In response to the incident, the entire gas system was upgraded, as were the safety procedures. Further, the safety procedures were revised to treat any difficulty as an incident, requiring systemic improvement. In this way, the concept of antifragility allows the unexpected to be utilized as a resource for improvement.