fail-safe mechanism
Automatic protective system
A fail-safe mechanism is a design feature that defaults to a safe condition when something goes wrong.
If power fails, components break, or errors occur, the system automatically prevents harm rather than causing it: The reactor has a fail-safe mechanism that shuts it down if cooling fails.
The term extends beyond engineering to any backup system that activates when the primary fails.
- backupStored duplicate for recovery
- redundantExceeding what's needed
- overrideCancel by authority
- kill switchEmergency shutoff mechanism
- shutdownCessation of operations
tripwire · cutoff · failover · emergency stop · circuit-breaker · lockout · interlock · bypass · emergency · power outage · point of no return · automatic · trigger · threshold · redundancy · belt and suspenders · fallback · plan B
fail-safe mechanismsingle point of failure
Lone vulnerable component
vulnerability · fatal flaw · dead man's switch · Achilles heel · time bomb
fail, safe, mechanism, fails, failed, failing, failure, failures, safely