Basic functional safety training according to IEC 61508

Based on our diverse practical experience in the field of Functional Safety and on our active membership of the relevant standard bodies, we supply you with the necessary expertise in the cross-industry generic standard IEC 61508 2nd Edition.

The training program is based on the first three parts of IEC 61508. Case studies and practical examples are used to demonstrate the procedures for dealing with individual topics and explain the work results and documents which must be delivered. Key processes from the safety life cycle are introduced, and the tasks and responsibilities associated with them are explained.

Target group of the IEC 61508 functional safety training

The training targets developers, testers, project leads, quality representatives and safety officers primarily focusing on the development of programmable electronic safety systems and aiming to implement these developments based on the internationally recognised IEC 61508 standard.

IEC 61508 functional safety training content and modules

The IEC 61508 training consists of several one-day modules which can be booked separately or in combination.

The training modules below can be combined with the FSCP Functional Safety Certification Program to gain a TÜV SÜD certificate confirming your knowledge status. Register for the FSCP exam as “Functional Safety Engineer”, “Functional Safety Professional” or “Functional Safety Expert”.

Module 1: IEC 61508 Training - Introduction, definition of functional safety management, system analysis

Part 1 of IEC 61508 requires implementation of a FSM (Functional Safety Management) system to provide an organisational framework for the development of safety-relevant electronic systems. After an introduction to Functional Safety and general overview of the sector, the program presents the tasks and methods involved in safety management together with conceptual aspects. The main design criteria of standards and approaches for designing a functional concept and the associated system analysis are explained. The day concludes with an introduction to the requirements which must be fulfilled by Requirements Engineering.

The content of Day 1 is aimed at management executives, project managers, safety and QM managers and all staff involved in functional safety projects.

Module 2: IEC 61508 Training - Development and evaluation of safety-relevant Hardware

Module 2 explains how mathematical and analytical methods can be applied to verify hardware designs fulfilling the requirements of IEC 61508 Part 2. A case study is used as the basis for a detailed explanation of the systematic approach to be used in analysis and the method of determining the necessary probabilistic safety parameters.

The content of Day 2 is aimed particularly at responsible operators and users in the field of hardware and software development, heads of functional safety projects and safety managers.

Module 3: IEC 61508 Training - Development and evaluation of safety-relevant Software

Part 3 of IEC 61508 presents methods, procedures, documentation and the software safety life cycle, which must all be taken into consideration in developing safety-relevant software. Practical examples are used to introduce the principles underlying the standard and the procedures for dealing with the requirements of this part of the standard.

The content of Day 3 is aimed particularly at users and responsible operators in software and hardware development, heads of functional safety projects and safety managers.

FSCP Functional Safety Certification Program IEC 61508

With our FSCP Functional Safety Certification Program, you can become an expert in Functional Safety. After completing the test, attendees receive a certificate confirming their qualification according to their chosen FSCP level and are entered in the list of certification-holders on our website

Level 1: FS Engineer IEC 61508

Level 2: FS Professional IEC 61508

Conditions: 6 years of professional experience in the field of functional safety (may be reduced to up to two years depending on educational qualifications – Bachelor’s, Master’s) and proof of collaboration in at least two FS projects.

Level 3: FS Expert IEC 61508

Conditions: on request

The examination takes 3 hours and takes the form of a written test on Levels 1 and 2. Our certificates do not have an expiry date.