Functional Safety
Improving the development and assurance of safe systems
These pages of Frequently Asked Questions contain information on approaches to achieve functional safety. Much of the material relates to IEC 61508, Functional safety of electrical/electronic/programmable electronic safety-related systems.
The document Functional safety and IEC 61508 provides an introduction to functional safety and gives an overview of IEC 61508. You will find it useful if you are:
- wondering whether IEC 61508 applies to you,
- involved in the development of electronic or programmable systems which may have safety implications, or
- drafting any other standard where functional safety is a relevant factor.
IEC 61508, Functional safety of electrical/electronic/ programmable electronic safety-related systems.
IEC 61508 covers all safety-related systems which are electrotechnical in nature (i.e. electromechanical systems, solid-state electronic systems and computer-based systems). The standard is in seven parts whose titles are:
- Part 1: General requirements
- Part 2: Requirements for E/E/PE safety-related systems
- Part 3: Software requirements
- Part 4: Definitions and abbreviations
- Part 5: Examples of methods for the determination of safety integrity levels
- Part 6: Guidelines on the application of IEC 61508-2 and IEC 61508-3
- Part 7: Overview of techniques and measures
The standard is generic and can be used directy by industry (as a 'standalone' standard) and also by international standards organisations as a basis for the development of sector standards (e.g. for the machinery sector, for the process sector or for the nuclear sector). The standard will therefore influence the development of electrical, electronic and programmable electronic (E/E/PE) safety-related systems across all sectors.
For more details on the standard see Frequently Asked Questions.
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