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61508IEC

IEC 61508 is an international standard for functional safety of electrical, electronic, and programmable electronic safety-related systems (E/E/PE). It provides a framework for the lifecycle of safety-related systems, from initial concept and risk analysis through design, implementation, operation, modification, and decommissioning, with the aim of achieving appropriate risk reduction.

The standard is technology-neutral and applicable across industries. It covers both hardware and software aspects of

A central concept in IEC 61508 is the safety integrity level (SIL), ranging from SIL 1 to

IEC 61508 serves as the base for sector-specific standards that implement its principles in particular contexts.

Overall, IEC 61508 provides the foundational framework for achieving functional safety in safety-related systems across diverse

safety-related
systems
and
emphasizes
a
systematic
safety
lifecycle,
including
hazard
and
risk
assessment,
safety
requirements
specification,
architectural
design,
development,
verification
and
validation,
maintenance,
and
change
management.
It
also
addresses
organizational
aspects
such
as
safety
management,
independence
of
safety-related
activities,
and
competency
of
personnel.
SIL
4.
These
levels
express
the
required
level
of
risk
reduction
and
determine
the
rigor
of
design,
verification,
and
maintenance
activities.
The
selection
of
SIL
depends
on
the
hazard
severity
and
the
probability
of
a
dangerous
failure,
with
higher
SILs
demanding
more
robust
design,
diagnostics,
and
testing.
Examples
include
IEC
61511
for
process
industries
and
IEC
62061
for
machinery
safety,
each
adapting
the
lifecycle
and
SIL
concepts
to
its
domain.
Compliance
is
typically
demonstrated
through
conformity
assessment
by
regulatory
bodies
or
notified
organizations,
and
is
widely
used
to
support
safety-case
development
and
regulatory
approvals.
industries.