Incident: Samsung Washer Recall: Drum Balance Issue Causes Injuries and Damage

Published Date: 2016-11-04

Postmortem Analysis
Timeline 1. The software failure incident involving Samsung's defective washing machines happened in March 2011 to the date of the article's publication in November 2016 [49968].
System 1. Samsung washing machines - models of "carga alta" with top load (manufactured from March 2011 onwards) [49968]
Responsible Organization 1. Samsung - Samsung is responsible for the software failure incident involving the defective washing machines that posed a risk to consumers [49968].
Impacted Organization 1. Consumers using Samsung washing machines [49968]
Software Causes 1. Unknown
Non-software Causes 1. The non-software causes of the failure incident in the Samsung washing machines were related to a mechanical issue with the drum balance, leading to excessive vibrations and separation of the top of the washer [49968]. 2. The issue was specifically linked to the use of high-speed spin cycles for certain types of laundry, such as bedding, water-resistant items, or bulky objects, which posed a risk of injury to consumers [49968]. 3. The failure incident also resulted in physical injuries to some users, including reports of fractures, such as a fractured jaw in one case [49968].
Impacts 1. The software failure incident involving Samsung's washing machines led to the risk of injury to consumers due to excessive vibrations and detachment of the washer's top, with nine reported injuries and one case of a fractured jaw [49968]. 2. Customers experienced damages to their homes as a result of the washing machines malfunctioning, with some claiming that the washers "explode during normal use" [49968].
Preventions 1. Implementing thorough quality control measures during the manufacturing process to detect and address any technical issues before the products are released to the market could have prevented the incident [49968]. 2. Conducting rigorous testing, including stress testing, on the washing machine models to ensure their stability and safety during high-speed spin cycles could have identified the imbalance issue and prevented the risk of injury to consumers [49968]. 3. Enhancing the design and engineering of the washing machine models to prevent the drum from losing balance and causing excessive vibrations or detachment of the top part could have mitigated the safety risks associated with the incident [49968].
Fixes 1. Reinforcing the washer lid to prevent detachment during high-speed spin cycles could fix the software failure incident [49968].
References 1. Samsung's official statement [49968]

Software Taxonomy of Faults

Category Option Rationale
Recurring one_organization (a) The software failure incident having happened again at one_organization: Samsung faced another product failure incident with its washing machines after the Galaxy Note 7 battery issue. Around 2.8 million Samsung washing machines were recalled due to technical problems that could cause injuries to users. The drum balance issue could lead to excessive vibrations and even the separation of the top part of the washer, posing a risk of injury to consumers [49968]. (b) The software failure incident having happened again at multiple_organization: There is no information in the provided article about the software failure incident happening again at multiple organizations.
Phase (Design/Operation) design, operation (a) The software failure incident related to the design phase can be seen in the case of Samsung's washing machines being recalled due to technical issues with the drum balance causing excessive vibrations and even separation of the top part of the washer during high-speed spin cycles. This design flaw led to potential injuries for consumers, with reports of injuries and even a fractured jaw [49968]. (b) The software failure incident related to the operation phase is evident in the complaints received by Samsung regarding excessive vibration or detachment of the washer lids during normal use. This indicates that the failure was due to issues arising from the operation or misuse of the washing machines, leading to safety concerns for consumers [49968].
Boundary (Internal/External) within_system (a) within_system: The software failure incident related to Samsung's washing machines can be categorized as within_system. The issue with the washing machines losing balance and causing excessive vibrations, leading to the separation of the top part of the washer, was acknowledged by Samsung as a technical problem originating from within the system itself. This internal issue posed a risk of injury to consumers, with reports of injuries and damages caused by the malfunctioning washers [49968].
Nature (Human/Non-human) non-human_actions (a) The software failure incident occurring due to non-human actions: - The software failure incident with Samsung's washing machines was due to technical issues in the drum of the washing machine, causing excessive vibrations and even separation of the top part of the washer during high-speed spin cycles. This issue was identified as a non-human action, as it was a result of a design or manufacturing flaw in the product [49968]. (b) The software failure incident occurring due to human actions: - The article does not mention any software failure incident related to human actions. Therefore, there is no information available regarding a software failure incident caused by human actions in the provided article [49968].
Dimension (Hardware/Software) hardware (a) The software failure incident occurring due to hardware: - The article mentions that Samsung is recalling 2.8 million washing machines due to technical issues where the drum can lose balance, leading to excessive vibrations and even the separation of the top part of the washer [49968]. - This hardware-related issue poses a risk of injury to consumers, with reports of injuries and even a case where a person suffered a fractured jaw due to the malfunctioning washing machine [49968]. (b) The software failure incident occurring due to software: - The article does not specifically mention any software-related failures in the context of the Samsung washing machine recall incident. Therefore, there is no information provided regarding software-related contributing factors in this particular case.
Objective (Malicious/Non-malicious) non-malicious (a) The articles do not mention any malicious intent or actions related to the software failure incident involving Samsung's washing machines. The failure was attributed to technical problems with the drum balance in the washers, leading to excessive vibrations and potential detachment of the top part of the machine, posing a risk of injury to consumers [49968]. (b) The software failure incident related to Samsung's washing machines was non-malicious. The issue was identified as a technical problem with the drum balance, causing excessive vibrations and potential detachment of the top part of the machine, leading to safety concerns for consumers. Samsung acknowledged the issue and initiated a recall and repair program to address the problem [49968].
Intent (Poor/Accidental Decisions) unknown Unknown
Capability (Incompetence/Accidental) unknown Unknown
Duration permanent The software failure incident related to the Samsung washing machines is more of a permanent failure. The issue with the washing machines, where the drum can lose balance leading to excessive vibrations and even separation of the top of the washer, is a design flaw that persists in the affected models manufactured from March 2011 onwards [49968]. This design flaw poses a risk of injury to consumers and has led to numerous complaints and even injuries, such as a reported case of a fractured jaw [49968]. Samsung is offering repairs or discounts on new machines to address this permanent failure issue [49968].
Behaviour other (a) crash: The incident reported in the article is not related to a software crash where the system loses state and fails to perform its intended functions [49968]. (b) omission: The failure is not due to the system omitting to perform its intended functions at an instance(s) [49968]. (c) timing: The failure is not due to the system performing its intended functions correctly, but too late or too early [49968]. (d) value: The failure is not due to the system performing its intended functions incorrectly [49968]. (e) byzantine: The failure is not due to the system behaving erroneously with inconsistent responses and interactions [49968]. (f) other: The behavior of the software failure incident in this case is related to a physical defect in Samsung washing machines, specifically the drum losing balance and causing excessive vibrations, leading to potential injuries to users and even detachment of the top part of the washing machine [49968].

IoT System Layer

Layer Option Rationale
Perception None None
Communication None None
Application None None

Other Details

Category Option Rationale
Consequence harm, property, non-human, theoretical_consequence (a) death: There is no mention of any deaths resulting from the software failure incident in the articles [49968]. (b) harm: The software failure incident led to physical harm as nine people reported injuries, with one person suffering a fractured jaw due to the malfunctioning Samsung washers [49968]. (c) basic: The software failure incident did not impact people's access to food or shelter [49968]. (d) property: People's property was impacted as some customers reported damages to their homes due to the exploding washers [49968]. (e) delay: There is no mention of any delays caused by the software failure incident in the articles [49968]. (f) non-human: Non-human entities were impacted by the software failure incident as the malfunctioning Samsung washers posed a risk to consumers and their homes [49968]. (g) no_consequence: There were observed consequences of physical harm and property damage resulting from the software failure incident, so the option of 'no_consequence' does not apply [49968]. (h) theoretical_consequence: Theoretical consequences were discussed, such as the risk of injury to consumers and potential explosions during normal use of the washers, which did occur in some cases [49968]. (i) other: There are no other consequences mentioned in the articles beyond the physical harm and property damage resulting from the software failure incident [49968].
Domain manufacturing (a) The failed system in the article is related to the manufacturing industry. Samsung is recalling 2.8 million washing machines due to technical issues that can cause excessive vibrations and even the separation of the top part of the washer, posing a risk of injury to consumers [49968].

Sources

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