Safety Critical Systems Handbook

Book excerpt: Safety Critical Systems Handbook: A Straightfoward Guide to Functional Safety, IEC 61508 (2010 Edition) and Related Standards, Including Process IEC 61511 and Machinery IEC 62061 AND ISO 13849, Third Edition, offers a practical guide to the functional safety standard IEC 61508. The book is organized into three parts. Part A discusses the concept of functional safety and the need to express targets by means of safety integrity levels. It places functional safety in context, along with risk assessment, likelihood of fatality, and the cost of conformance. It also explains the life-cycle approach, together with the basic outline of IEC 61508 (known as BS EN 61508 in the UK). Part B discusses functional safety standards for the process, oil, and gas industries; the machinery sector; and other industries such as rail, automotive, avionics, and medical electrical equipment. Part C presents case studies in the form of exercises and examples. These studies cover SIL targeting for a pressure let-down system, burner control system assessment, SIL targeting, a hypothetical proposal for a rail-train braking system, and hydroelectric dam and tidal gates. - The only comprehensive guide to IEC 61508, updated to cover the 2010 amendments, that will ensure engineers are compliant with the latest process safety systems design and operation standards - Helps readers understand the process required to apply safety critical systems standards - Real-world approach helps users to interpret the standard, with case studies and best practice design examples throughout