factor of safety

American  

noun

1. the ratio of the maximum stress that a structural part or other piece of material can withstand to the maximum stress estimated for it in the use for which it is designed.

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factor of safety British  

noun

1. Also called: safety factor.  the ratio of the breaking stress of a material or structure to the calculated maximum stress when in use

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Etymology

Origin of factor of safety

First recorded in 1855–60

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

factor of safety

“Metro added a 20% factor of safety to this rate to arrive at a proposed inspection interval of every eight days per wheelset,” she wrote.

From Washington Post ● Nov. 4, 2021

The regulations and factor of safety requirements aren’t as strict because, if it fails, no one is going to die.

From Scientific American ● Jul. 31, 2015

“The factor of safety is now back to being a high criterion when selecting an airline.”

From Time ● Mar. 6, 2015

"The regular use of milk is the greatest single factor of safety in the human diet."

From Food Guide for War Service at Home Prepared under the direction of the United States Food Administration in co-operation with the United States Department of Agriculture and the Bureau of Education, with a preface by Herbert Hoover by Powdermaker, Florence

The working stress in any case is fmax. divided by a factor of safety.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 4, Part 3 "Brescia" to "Bulgaria" by Various