The importance of functional safety

Wherever we go and whatever we do, we are generally never too far from an electrical or electronic device or system. Ensuring they are safe and don’t cause us intolerable harm is the objective behind functional safety. It focuses on electronics and related software and activates built-in safety mechanisms to reduce potential risks that could harm or destroy something, or someone.

It is found almost everywhere, from airplanes to industrial machines and medical devices, to name a few. For example, automatic doors have built-in sensors that open fast enough so you don’t squash your nose, and close slowly enough behind you so you aren’t stuck halfway.

The sensors in smoke detectors activate a water sprinkler system to douse any fires, and overflow valves, used in a variety of settings such as plumbing and electricity generation, alert users when certain pressure levels are reached. Functional safety standards are designed to ensure the safety and reliability of the software that enables this automatic protection.

IEC 61508 is a horizontal series of standards that provides functional safety requirements applicable to various industry sectors. It requires the analysis of the potential risks or hazards of a given system or device. It provides categories to determine the level of likelihood of a potential hazard and the consequences should it occur. It ensures risk reduction through Safety Integrity Levels (SILs). SILs are defined to indicate the degree to which a system will meet its specified safety functions.

IEC 61508 is a horizontal series of standards that provides functional safety requirements applicable to various industry sectors. It mandates the analysis of the potential risks or hazards of a given system or device and provides categories to determine the level of likelihood of a potential hazard and its consequences, should it occur.

AI is increasingly used in safety-critical systems such as autonomous systems and autonomous mobile robots. The functional safety of AI, therefore, needs to be considered as this technology evolves.

All of these standards can be found in our e-shop.