For each risk that cannot otherwise be mitigated or reduced to a tolerable level, a Safety Instrumented System (SIS) needs to be implemented. To avoid situations that can escalate into contingencies such as these, many industrial operations institute safety-related systems that incorporate functional safety or electrical and/or electronic and/or programmable electronic ( E/E/PE) devices.įunctional safety systems are active, not passive, and are designed to perform specific functions when activated.

Moreover, process failures can result in damage to equipment, their subsystems (including electronics and PCBs), the facility, and, if severe enough, the environment. Although this means there are fewer opportunities for injuries to people, they still exist. Today, most industrial production is performed by automated product manufacturing systems. What is the Safety Integrity Level (SIL)? In this article, we take a look at the four safety integrity levels (SILs), as defined by IEC-61508, and discuss why these are important to your industrial PCB development. At the root of this approach is the ability to define the type or level of safety protection required. Although not mandated, IEC-61511 provides a framework for not only evaluating industrial risks, but also in creating a structured layer-based approach to mitigating them. Successfully contending with these potential factory contingencies means performing risk analysis and instituting a risk management plan, similar to what is required for the aerospace and medical devices industries. These include risks to manufacturing process, equipment, and the environment. And these are important indeed however, there are additional risks that industrial product manufacturers must contend with as well. There are regulations that must be followed to ensure the safety of workers, such as those stipulated by the Occupational Safety and Health Association (OSHA) of the U.S. These are typical devices in production facilities that are meant to provide a safe environment. If you have ever worked in a factory then you are probably familiar with lockout cages, buzzers and warning lights at every machine.

Safety integrity level explained