61508central

What do you do when you need to know about IEC 61508 and its implications? Go online and hope somebody’s put together a decent independent site which will explain everything you need to know about this important standard! Unfortunately, when we did this in 2008, there didn’t appear to be any such site. So we decided to create it.

OK, we’ll admit it. 61508centralisn’t updated much. But we hope what’s here is of use. If you’d like to contribute (perhaps if your own organisation has resources you’d like us to highlight) then please email us at the.team@61508central.com and we’ll get you on the site straight away.

Using the magic of Google’s feedburner service, we can offer you an email every time we add something to this site. It shouldn’t result in more than a handful of emails a month, so sign up below, and let us keep you informed about IEC61508 developments!

For a very general introduction to IEC61508, there’s a long-serving but decent enough downloadable brochure on the IEC website. Simply titled Functional safety of electrical/ electronic/ programmable electronic safety-related systems, the 12-page document is a good management-level backgrounder and lists all the full IEC61508 specification documents. You can download a copy of the IEC61508 brochure here (PDF, 524kB).

RTK Instruments has recently launched an annunciator which the company says is the first SIL2 annunciator certified to IEC61508 to appear on the market.

The SIL725 Safety Annunciator has been designed and manufactured to provide a high safety integrity for critical alarm applications and for use as a component part of a safety instrumented system. The unit is third party certified by SIRA using the CASS methodology to a safety integrity level of SIL2.

With a modular construction, units can be constructed from one to 128 channels with a choice of two window sizes and six colours. RTK says: “Whatever the size and complexity of your alarm scheme, the SIL725 can be configured to provide the best solution. With a field proven multi-redundant ASIC design this annunciator gives the best in reliability, flexibility and programmability for all applications and industries.”

More information on the RTK Instruments IEC61508-certified SIL725 Safety Annunciator

CASS (Conformity Assessment of Safety-related Systems) is a certification scheme designed to offer “a rigorous and internationally acceptable structure under which consistent certification of safety related systems can take place”. It has been created as a not-for-profit company, managed by an elected board. Members include associations representing manufacturers, designers, installers, users, certifiers or regulators of safety related systems.

CASS covers all industry sectors including process, aerospace and transport and the scheme is operated through independent third-party certification bodies, accredited to the European and International accreditation standards.

CASS says it is an initiative “designed to provide an overall safety framework, which includes the use of recognised safety standards and competent assessors”. Its objective to develop a conformity assessment scheme meeting the requirements of IEC 61508, enabling the safety systems industry (manufacturers, integrators and end users) to collaborate in order to improve its competitive position.

For further information and to see if the CASS certification scheme might improve your IEC61508 certification, start at About The CASS Scheme where there’s also a free introductory brochure to download.