Safety

A sensor that detects smoke and triggers the activation of a water sprinkler system inside a building.

The enclosure is placed around a socket to protect users against accidental contact with electrical parts.

Train doors automatically close and remain closed during the length of the trip.

These are just a few examples of safety measures that are utilized with electrical devices.

Safety is commonly defined as the freedom from unacceptable risk of physical injury.

Safety-critical industries are ruled by international standards that provide extra assurance about the safety level of the systems by promoting safety as an integral aspect of devices and systems, thus protecting people, critical infrastructures, economies, and the environment.

These standards can address aspects of safety that apply to many products or specifically address a single product type or industry.

Three clear examples of industries that rely on safety:

• Automotive:

  • ISO 26262, "Road vehicles – Functional safety".

• Aeronautics:

  • DO-178C, “Software Considerations in Airborne Systems and Equipment Certification”.

• Railway:

  • CENELEC EN 50128, “Railway applications - Communication, signaling and processing systems - Software for railway control and protection systems”.

  • CENELEC EN 50657.

How to ensure safety?

Safety is “ensured” by strict rules, specific analysis, and certification/qualification of systems.

We need to be in control, thus a set of clear processes must be planned and applied.

• Lifecycle activities as for Security.

• Assessments and Analysis (as for Security).

• Training or proven experience.

• System/Environment knowledge.

• Risk/Hazards Analysis.

• System and Safety Requirements.

• Follow up on development (traceability).

• Verify and Validate.

• Build and maintain a Safety Dossier (Safety Case).

• Support external Independent Assessors…