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When to consider Functional Safety? Whenever a duty holder considers upgrading or implementing a new process, which entails safety critical aspects being managed and controlled by a PE system, due consideration must be given to IEC 61508 or its derivatives.
The implications "In the context of functional safety, HSE recognises BS EN 61508 and relevant sector standards (E.g. BS IEC 61511) as reference standards for determining whether a reasonably practicable level of safety has been achieved." Charter Tech provides an array of services and solutions relating to different aspects of the functional safety lifecycle, these include:-
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| Safety 61508 & 61511 | |||||
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Safety is the freedom from unacceptable risk of physical injury or damage to the health of people, either directly or as a result of damage to property or the environment. The advent of the Seveso II directive in 1996 and its application across Great Britain through the Control of Major Accident Hazards (COMAH) regulation in 1999, and more recently the Dangerous Substances and Explosive Atmospheres (DSEAR) directive, place specific demands on duty holders concerning safety. The adoption by British Standards of functional safety standards IEC61508 and IEC61511 provide guidelines to duty holders on the application and management of Programmable Electronic Systems (PES), such as PLCs, in safety critical applications, from process concept to de- commissioning. All CENELEC member countries adopted IEC61508 in August 2002, all equivalent national standards were withdrawn in 2004. Common to each of these directives and standards is the need for duty holders to demonstrate that risk has been reduced to a level which is "As Low As Reasonably Practical" (ALARP). |
