IEC 61508 – Foundation of Functional Safety (Certification Program)

The IEC 61508 functional safety standard applies to all industry sectors and covers the complete lifecycle of a product. Anyone involved in any aspect of functional safety would benefit from this course:

• Developers (including System, Hardware and Software)
• Testers and Integrators
• Project Managers and Functional Safety Managers
• Quality Managers

The course is structured in six modules, each lasting approximately half day.

Module 1 - Functional Safely Fundamentals

• Introduction to the foundational principles of Safety and Functional Safety, including risk evaluation and risk reduction.
• Motivations for Functional Safety, with examples of industrial accidents, and the recommended actions to prevent similar incidents in the future.
• Key standards and requirements that support and augment IEC 61508.
• Legal aspects of functional safety.
• The challenge posed by cybersecurity and new regulations.

Module 2 - Risk Reduction and the Safety Concept

• Introduction to the sample project that will be used throughout the course to reinforce the training concepts.
• Outline the overall safety lifecycle, defined in IEC 61508. This lifecycle concept provides the foundation for compliance to the standard, and covers the whole lifecycle from initial concept through to final decommissioning.
• The initial lifecycle phases, covering concept and scope, ensuring that the safety process is applied to al well-defined and understood system.
• Hazard and risk analysis, including risk evaluation and the required degree of risk reduction.
• Demand and Continuous modes of operation.

Module 3 - Safety Management

• Requirements for the management of functional safety within the organization as well as during product development.
• Methods and techniques recommended by the standard to avoid the introduction of systematic faults during the lifecycle phases.
• Defining the safety requirements for compliant development.
• Post-development lifecycle phases.
• Verification, Validation, Audits and Assessments: Four key requirements for a demonstration of compliance.

Module 4 - Development of safety-related Systems

• System design and development, including hardware-specific topics
• A study of the two routes to control and mitigate systematic faults throughout the entire product lifecycle.
• Hardware design topics specific to the development of safety-related equipment.
• Techniques to calculate the reliability of safety elements.

Module 5 – Realization

• A number of topics are relevant to both system and software development, and are included in this separate module.
• Reducing and controlling the risk posed by hardware-related common cause failures.
• Diagnostic techniques for the detection of failures in the safety-related system.
• Maintaining safety across communications networks.
• Development of ASICS.

Module 6 - Development of safety-related Software

• Overview of the lifecycle phases and development model for safety-critical software.
• Software-specific development topics, including tool qualification, coding, modelling and style guidelines, modern development methods such as agile and CI/CD etc.
• Testing and validation methods, including static and dynamic analysis, code testing coverage.
• Ensuring that safety and security requirements are met.
• Software methods requiring special consideration such as OOP and AI.

Final Examination

With our FSCP Functional Safety Certification Program, you can be certified in Functional Safety. After completing the exam, successful attendees receive a certificate confirming their qualification.

IEC 61508 is an international standard for the “functional safety” of electrical, electronic, and programmable electronic systems (PES). IEC 61508 standard provides a common framework to industries to design products and systems for safety-related applications to render the plant safe. The standard specifically covers safety-function related failures performed by E/E/PE safety-related systems. It ensures that systems are designed, implemented and operated as per safety life cycle and safety integrity level (SIL). The safety cycle has 16 phases that address analysis, realisation and operation of safety-related systems step-by-step in phases. It basically involves documenting a safety plan, executing that plan, documenting its execution and continuing to follow that safety plan through to decommissioning with further appropriate documentation throughout the life of the system. All changes in future follow the pattern of planning, execution, validation, and documentation similarly. IEC 61508 is the basic standard of safety and applicable in all industries. Hence, companies need to ensure that their professionals are well trained in IEC 61508 Functional Safety for understanding, designing, implementing and executing the protective systems in an efficient way to mitigate risks and avoid failures in the system life cycle. This would help companies improve their acceptance levels and have a safe workplace environment.

FSCP FUNCTIONAL SAFETY CERTIFICATION PROGRAM IEC 61508

IEC 61508 Functional Safety Training & Certification Program, helps understand requisites for a safe environment in the workplace by training individuals to effectively and efficiently use the safety processes . It focuses on the methods to be used to design, deploy and maintain systems related to Electrical, Electronic and Programming systems. Functional Safety Training Certification Program in accordance with IEC 61508 standard, helps industries to train their professionals to meet national and international standards in engineering. The IEC 61508 Training & Certification Program, elevates the standards of the companies and they stand more and more competitive with effective measures of functional safety in place. This helps organizations gain employee trust as well as customer confidence, that ensures only upward growth in business by each day.

The more complex the technology, the more functional safety experts are needed. Our Functional Safety Certification Program (FSCP) offers you as an employee the best opportunity to certify your functional safety competence according to IEC 61508. As a company, you have proof that you can deploy your employees who have passed the exam in the appropriate positions in the security lifecycle. After completing the examination, attendees receive a certificate confirming their qualification and knowledge.

TÜV SÜD provides a one stop solution in the area of functional safety from training to assessment of tool kits and projects, to providing certification, all under one roof. Our courses focuses not only on the concepts but also on practical applications that are relatable to the industry.

Our IEC 61508 Functional Safety Training & Certification Program is offered to working professionals across multiple industries. TÜV SÜD’s experts provide training as per latest improvements in the field and ensure that the trainees are up-to-date as per international standards of functional safety. The training aims at improving the application of safety systems and functioning of the systems with respect to the E/E/PE to avoid any damage to man, material or environment. You will learn about the individual subject areas of IEC 61508 using practical examples. In the modules, the necessary work results and the appropriate handling of the safety plan are explained.

As an expert in the field of functional safety, you can secure a number of advantages for yourself and your company with a certificate according to FSCP IEC 61508. Some of the benefits to the business and individuals are as follows:

• Demonstrate individual expertise as an IEC 61508 functional safety professional. Our training courses provide in-depth expertise relevant to Electrical/Electronic systems and equipment. We qualify you or your employees to work with functional safety in accordance with IEC 61508.
• Comply with IEC 61508 standard with a certification that clearly demonstrates and documents your expertise, experience and skills in functional safety.
• Maintain a competitive advantage by building internal competencies to tackle functional safety projects effectively and efficiently.

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. 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.

After the course, you will become familiar with the individual topics with the help of practical examples. All course modules adopt a situation-based approach to the methods of safety analyzes and supporting processes and the resulting work products. Explanations of the necessary work products and appropriate treatment of the safety plan are naturally an integral part in all modules.

This is an Instructor-led training in a virtual classroom. This means the course is Live Online. Participants will learn through online teaching. Lectures, case studies, group exercises, discussions, problem solving, examples with explanation, assignments and/or quizzes happen in the virtual classroom training. Participants need to connect to the class from any internet accessible location. Each module is delivered live using webinar technology, creating a virtual classroom learning environment. Live sessions provide you with direct access to the trainer so you can ask questions, understand complex concepts and share ideas with peers. Webcam and microphone are REQUIRED to interact with the instructor and/or other participants.

The training program culminates in an online proctored exam in which you will need your webcam on.

The course content and structure are designed by the domain experts from TÜV SÜD. With immense experience and knowledge in the relevant standards, our team of product specialists and technical experts at TÜV SÜD, developed the course content based on current business landscape and market requirements.

Participants will receive a Certificate of Attendance. Attendance of this course is recommended for all students wishing to take any of the IEC 61508 Functional Safety Examinations.

The examination will be conducted virtually. All participants in the exam will receive the link to access the exam on the day the exam is scheduled. The exam takes 2.5 hours and takes the form of a multiple-choice test. Our certificates do not have an expiry date.

After passing the exams, you will receive a TÜV SÜD certificate with the corresponding title to prove your level of knowledge. Without exception, our exams are internationally recognized and are held in English.

It is highly recommended that learners obtain a copy of the standards to be referenced during the course. The standard may be purchased through the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) (www.ansi.org) and/or American Society for Quality (ASQ) (www.asq.org).

There are no entry requirements to participate in this training. Proof of safety project experience is not required. However, it is assumed that candidates have at least a university degree or equivalent qualification in an engineering discipline.

What is the significance of IEC 61508 in a Functional Safety Training program?

• For any kind of industry, functional safety is most fundamental for having a risk-free work environment that also runs efficient work processes at the same time. The IEC 61508 Functional Safety Training program aims at training individuals to have complete know-how with respect to electrical / electronic systems or equipment. This would enable them to have complete understanding and control over the safety control systems. It helps trigger safety systems at the right time to mitigate risks and avoid failures. Such training programs provide companies an opportunity to get their professionals trained as per the standards and ensure a safe work environment free from hazards and risks.

What does the IEC 61508 Functional Safety Standard specify?

• The IEC 61508 standard of Functional Safety, sets out practices in the engineering of systems that ensures safe industrial processes throughout the life cycle of a product, by focusing on the methods to be used to design, deploy and maintain systems related to Electrical, Electronic and Programming systems.

Why is it important for an individual to have Functional Safety Training in IEC 61508 module?

• IEC 61508 Standard Functional Training typically aims at training professionals to have the right knowledge and practical experience in safety functions related to electrical, electronic and programmable systems. When professionals working related to functional safety are updated with the latest improvements in the related field, they can take much more informed steps. This helps to mitigate risks and avoid undue failure. The functional safety training program helps in both individual and organisational growth. This indirectly helps boost business and improve profits exponentially

How to obtain an IEC 61508 Functional Safety Training in the US?

• TÜV SÜD America is a leading international institution in providing functional safety training across industries in the US. Our industry specific IEC 61508 Functional Safety Training and Certification program in the US are globally accredited. The IEC 61508 Functional Safety Training and Certification can be obtained by joining the course and completing the course as per the modules in the stipulated time.

TÜV SÜD is a leading company in IEC 61508 standard functional safety training and certification. The training provided is well-recognised in the US and worldwide. The safety training experts from TÜV SÜD Academy have complete knowledge and the technical know-how of the subject, and they aim at providing practical knowledge in the IEC 61508 functional safety training course. Persons entrusted with functional safety have a major role to play, as their competence matters for the efficient overall functioning of the plant.