The EN 61508 series "Functional safety of electrical, electronic and programmable electronic safety-related systems" is regarded as the generic safety standard, dealing with the functional safety of electrical, electronic and programmable electronic systems, irrespective of the application. As such it is the main standard covering the functional safety of control systems. This standard is used to define the requirements of safety systems in plant safety. It's worth noting that EN 61508 has not been harmonised. Only its sector standard EN 62061 can claim this.
EN 61508: Functional safety of control systems
Contents of the EN 61508 series
Safety lifecycle
The first part of the standard examines the complete safety lifecycle, with detailed requirements for the procedure and content of the individual steps. This part is of particular significance for machine builders and safety component manufacturers.
Design of electrical systems
This standard also focuses on the design of electrical systems and their associated software. Manufacturers of safety components probably reap the greatest benefit from this standard.
Instead of the EN 61508 series, it is however recommended that end users or system integrators apply the much less complex EN 62061 or EN ISO 13849-1/-2 to determine safety levels. In this "functional safety" standard (EN 62061), the requirements of these systems are generally divided into safety integrity levels (SIL 1-4). Devices, sensors or control systems must therefore have a SIL classification.
Standardisation of the EN 61508 series
Standardisation of the EN 61508 series
The EN 61508 standard series "Functional safety of electrical, electronic and programmable electronic safety-related systems" consists of the following parts:
Part 1: Introduction to the concept of functional safety,
overview of the standards in the IEC 61508 series
Part 2: Requirements for
electrical/electronic/programmable electronic safety-related systems
Part 3: Software requirements
Part 4: Definitions and abbreviations
Part 5: Examples of methods for the determination of safety integrity levels
Part 6: Guidelines on the application of Part 2 and Part 3
Part 7: Overview of techniques and measures
Legal status of EN/IEC 61508
As the EN 61508 series is not listed in the Official Journal of the EU for implementation as a European standard (not harmonised), it lacks "presumption of conformity": so if the standard is used on its own, a control system designer cannot presume that the relevant requirements of the specific European directive have been met. However, IEC and ISO standards frequently refer to IEC 61508. To a certain extent, therefore, they regain their significance through the back door.
Pilz GmbH & Co. KG
Felix-Wankel-Straße 2
73760 Ostfildern
Germany
Telephone: +49 711 3409-0
E-Mail: pilz.gmbh@pilz.de
Telephone: +49 711 3409 444
E-Mail: support@pilz.com
Americas
- Mexico: +52 55 5572 1300
- Brazil: + 55 11 4942-7032
- Canada: +1 888-315-PILZ (315-7459)
- United States (toll-free): +1 877-PILZUSA (745-9872)
Europe
- Ireland: +353 21 4804983
- Italy: +39 0362 1826711
- Austria: +43 1 7986263-444
- Russia: +7 495 6654993
- Turkey: +90 216 5775552
- Belgium: +32 9 321 75 70
- Sweden: +46 300 13990 / +45 74436332
- Netherlands: +31 347 320477
- Germany: +49 711 3409 444
- Spain: +34 938497433
- Denmark: +45 74436332
- Portugal: +351 229 407 594
- United Kingdom: +44 1536 460866
- France (toll-free): +33 3 88104000
- Switzerland: +41 62 889 79 32
- Finland: +358 10 3224030 / +45 74436332
Asia Pacific
- Australia (toll-free): +61 3 9560 0621 / 1300 723 334
- Japan: +81 45 471 2281
- Taiwan: +886 2 25700068
- Singapore: +65 6829 2920
- China: +86 400-088-3566
- South Korea: +82 31 778 3390
- New Zealand: +64 9 6345350
- Thailand: +66 210 54613