suojatason

Suojatason, in Finnish, translates roughly as “protective level” or “level of protection.” It is a general term used to describe the degree to which a system, device, or process is safeguarded against hazards. The concept covers protections for people, equipment, and the environment and can refer to physical barriers, technical safeguards, administrative controls, or combinations of these.

In safety engineering and risk management, suojatason helps planners evaluate and communicate how well hazards are mitigated. It informs design decisions, verification activities, and regulatory compliance. Protective measures may include guards and interlocks, protective enclosures, safety-rated control systems, fail-safe design, as well as procedures and training.

The term itself is not a formal standard, but it often aligns with standardized concepts such as Performance Level (PL) from EN ISO 13849-1 or Safety Integrity Level (SIL) from IEC 61508/61511, as well as protection ratings like IP codes for environmental protection. In Finnish documentation, suojatason may be expressed numerically or categorically (for example low, medium, high) depending on the standard or risk assessment method used.

Context and usage extend across industries such as manufacturing, electrical engineering, and information security to describe how protective measures contribute to overall safety or security. It is commonly documented in safety cases, risk registers, product specifications, and compliance reports. The word combines “suoja” (protection) and “taso” (level).