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Functional safety starts with understanding the risks. Our assessment process combines hazard studies such as HAZOP with risk quantification techniques like LOPA to uncover where risks exist, how severe they are, and what level of protection is needed.
We take your high-consequence scenarios from your HAZOP and dig deeper, applying semi-quantitative risk assessment to determine where additional protection is needed and what Safety Integrity Level (SIL) targets must be met.
This is the first step in designing safety systems that are built around real risks, not assumptions.
When should we start functional safety assessment?
As early as possible: detailed design of the process and standard operating controls is required to adequately undertake a HAZOP and produce a true understanding of hazards and any associated risk gaps. You want to be able to design any additional safety measures required before construction has started where possible, as retrofits and late-stage design modifications are expensive!
Why do we need SIL targets?
SIL targets ensure that safety systems are designed to a reliability level appropriate for the risks they are protecting against.
Design turns the risk assessment into clear technical requirements. We can translate SIL targets into detailed Safety Requirement Specifications that define exactly how safety functions need to operate and perform, to then be passed across to your technical team for system design.
Using the results of the hazard assessment and LOPA, we support your team in creating Safety Requirement Specifications (SRS) that clearly define what safety systems must do, how quickly they must respond, and how reliable they must be.
This provides a blueprint for the engineering design of Safety Instrumented Systems (SIS) and ensures that safeguards aren’t just theoretical, they’re designed for real-world operation.
What is a Safety Requirement Specification (SRS)?
It’s a formal document that translates assessment outcomes into detailed safety system requirements, forming the basis for system design and validation. It’s a key requirement of the IEC 61511 process and underpins all subsequent functional safety adherence for this SIF.
Who is involved in the design phase?
Typically a combination of process engineers, control and instrumentation specialists, and functional safety experts.
Verification checks that safety systems meet design intent and SIL targets. Independent reviews confirm that systems are correctly built, installed, and ready to protect your people and plant.
Verification confirms that your safety systems have been designed in line with their specifications and that they meet the necessary SIL targets, before equipment is ordered and installed.
It’s a key part of the functional safety lifecycle, and ensures your systems will perform as intended and with sufficient reliability when called upon.
All verification work is carried out by independent experts to maintain objectivity and rigor.
Why is independent verification important?
To avoid bias and ensure that the design for the physical system meets the requirements determined in the SRS and is therefore appropriate for managing the hazard it has been designed to mitigate.
When does verification happen?
We are sometimes asked to verify a SIF after the installation has taken place and before the commissioning process, but this can result in expensive retrofits and project delays being required if a component or a full system fails the verification process. For newly designed systems, it is most effective to undertake verification when the system design has been completed to a component and wiring diagram level, but before the equipment is bought and installed on the facility.
Training builds confidence at every stage of the safety lifecycle. We help your team understand the systems, standards, and responsibilities needed to keep your functional safety systems working as designed.
We deliver functional safety training designed to build knowledge and confidence at every stage, from hazard assessment and SIL determination to system design, verification, validation and commissioning, and ongoing maintenance.
Training helps ensure compliance with standards like IEC 61511 and builds a culture where safety is embedded, not bolted on.
Who needs functional safety training?
Anyone involved in the lifecycle of safety systems; including engineers, operators, maintenance teams, and managers.
What standards do your courses cover?
Primarily IEC 61511, with additional coverage of related standards like ATEX and DSEAR as required.