SAFE-LIFE measures ensured that "the structure was designed to sustain the required fatigue life without initial damage and without accumulation of damage during service, for example cracks" (Swift, 1987). While with a SAFE-LIFE measurement “it is assumed that all materials contain a finite initial size of defects before entering service which may increase due to fatigue loading during service” (Swift, 1987). Therefore, if the SAFE-LIFE risk assessment had started before the SAFE-LIFE assessments, the aircraft design and safety teams would have recognized the risks before the damage had already occurred