Author(s)

H. Jansen & H. Schäbe

Abstract

Currently, technical systems are becoming more and more complex. A main contribution comes from electronic control systems that allow for a larger number of functions. The concept of Safety Integrity Levels (SILS) has been developed within different systems of standards (IEC 61508, EN 50129 / EN 50128 and DEF-STAN 00-56). These standards are applied in different areas: control technology (IEC 61508), railway technology (EN 50129 and EN 50128) and defence technology (DEF-STAN 00-56). SILs are a tool for assigning safety targets to systems. The concept of a safety SIL within different standards is explained. The problem of assigning SILS to functional units within a system is discussed, especially how a SIL is realised by a certain safety architecture of a system. Some standards give rules for system architecture and how to achieve a higher SIL for a system designe

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