History of electrical devices and standards in safety

applications

Module number: eFS-PS-005

Last update: 23 May 2022

Electrical safety-related devices have a history of use spanning back over sixty
years. 

With the advent of programmable equipment, functional safety standards got

introduced to control increasing complexity and software.

Functional safety standards published by the IEC (International Electrotechnical

Commission) are now accepted worldwide since the early part of this century.

This module introduces some of the history and major milestones leading to today's
increasing number of "SIL capable" devices.

Functional Safety Standards Overview

The product & standards timeline

Summary
Section 1 of 3

Functional Safety Standards Overview

Notes
All the IEC series of functional safety standards are sourced from the basic safety standard for
safety-related Electrical, Electronic and Programmable Electronic Systems, known as IEC61508. 
Since there are now sector-specific standards for the process and machinery sector, IEC61508
is the main reference standard for Original Equipment Manufacturers or OEM's who are looking
to design and build their products for safety-related applications.

IEC61511 is the sector standard that uses the principles of IEC61508 and applies these principles
to process industry applications. IEC61511 is the best standard to adopt for process industry
end-users and those who are engineering systems or providing services on their behalf. 

Other standards exist for di erent domains, such as IEC62061. This standard is best applied by
machinery builders who use programmable systems for safety. 

SRECS stands for Safety-Related Electrical Control System. 

The relationship of the functional safety standards means that some terminology is common.
For instance, the term “Safety Integrity Level”, or SIL, has the same meaning whether you are
an equipment supplier, process end-user, or machinery builder. 

The standards that each of these groups should follow may be di erent, but they have common
roots and some common terminology.

Other standards
Automation and instrumentation get used in multiple applications, so there are now many
standards that cross-reference IEC 61508.

There are too many standards and guidelines to fully outline here, but a selection is worth
showing to demonstrate how far and wide functional safety has reached:

Automotive
–
ISO 26262: 2011 (10 Parts)
Road vehicles - Functional safety

Explosive Atmospheres
–
IEC 60079-29-3:2014
Explosive atmospheres - Part 29-3: Gas detectors - Guidance on functional safety of fixed gas
detection systems

Fuel Cell Technologies

–
IEC 62282-3-100:2020
Stationary fuel cell power systems — Safety

Gas Turbines
–
ISO 21789:2020
Gas turbine applications - Safety

Nuclear power
–
IEC 61513:2011
Nuclear power plants - Instrumentation and control important to safety - General requirements
for systems
IEC 60774: 2018
Nuclear power plants - Instrumentation and control systems important to safety - Safety logic
assemblies used in systems performing category A functions: Characteristics and test methods

IEC 61226: 2020

Nuclear power plants - Instrumentation, control and electrical power systems important to
safety - Categorization of functions and classification of systems 

 IEC 60987:2021
Nuclear power plants - Instrumentation and control important to safety - Hardware
requirements

Oil & Gas

–
ISO 10418:2019
O shore production installations - Process safety systems

OLF 070 - Norwegian Oil & Gas Association

Application of IEC 61508 and IEC 61511 in the Norwegian Petroleum Industry (recommended SIL
requirements)

Railway applications
–
IEC 62279:2015
Railway applications - Communication, signalling and processing systems - Software for railway
control and protection systems

EN 50126-1:2017
Railway applications - The Specification and Demonstration of Reliability, Availability,
Maintainability and Safety (RAMS) - Part 1: Generic RAMS Process

Railway Applications - The Specification and Demonstration of Reliability, Availability,

Maintainability and Safety (RAMS) - Part 2: Systems Approach to Safety
Section 2 of 3

The product & standards timeline

1960

Relay-based systems

00:21

Electrical devices have been employed in safety applications for many years. Since the
1960's, relay based trips and interlocks have been used in process applications. However,
early electrical equipment was not specially designed for safety duties.
1965

Thin- lm transducers and magnetic logic

00:12

By the mid 1960's, more robust and predictable solid state logic was invented. Sensing
technology also became more reliable and less prone to failure.

1970

The rst programmable logic controller

00:12

Around 1970, the first programmable logic controller was invented. This was to become the
basis of future industrial computer control.
1975

The rst distributed control system

00:15

In 1975, two companies competed to launch the first distributed control system (DCS).
Yokogawa just beat Honeywell to install the first system, called Centum.
1980

The rst safety relay

00:07

In the early 1980's, the first relay designed for safety applications was launched by Pilz.

1985

The rst TÜV certi ed safety PLC

00:09
By 1985, the first TUV certified safety PLC was provided by German company Hima.
1990

Triplicated safety PLC’s & HSE PES Guidelines

00:27

In the early 1990's, triplicated modular redundant (TMR) systems became very popular for
critical applications. 
With a concern for the unpredictable failure of more complex systems, the UK Health and
Safety Executive developed new guidelines for Programmable Electronic Systems in safety
applications, known as the PES guidelines.
1995

Dual redundant safety PLC's & IEC 61508 development

00:16

By the mid 90's, high diagnostic dual systems began to take hold of the safety logic solver
space. 
The international standards for electrical and electronic systems in safety applications began
development.
2000

IEC 61508 edition1 published

00:13

At the turn of the century, the first international standard covering functional safety of
electrical and electronic systems was published. IEC 61508.
2005

IEC 61511 edition 1 published

00:16

In 2003, the process industry version of functional safety was launched, coining the new
term "Safety Instrumented System". 

Over the decade, the first so-called "SIL certified" field devices began appearing.

2010

IEC 61508 edition 2 published

00:18

By the time edition 2 of the original functional safety standard was published, many SIL
certified devices were available. 
The language in the standard was made more stringent, to ensure that safety manuals were
produced for equipment suppliers making SIL claims.
2015 onwards

IEC 61511 edition 2 published

00:12

IEC61511 Edition 2 was published in 2016 (finalized in 2017 in some countries). There are
many updates to the original standard, some of which are summarized below:

The requirement for a formal competence management system.

Suppliers must have a functional safety management system if they make functional
safety (SIL) claims.

Simplified hardware fault tolerance (HFT) rules for safety instrumented functions
(matching IEC61508 edition 2).

Completely re-written requirements for software (application programs).

2020

IEC61511-4 Technical Report

Explanation and rationale for changes in IEC 61511-1 from Edition 1 to Edition 2

This new "Technical Report" part of IEC 61511, comprising around 40 pages, was published
in 2020. The explanation for the new issue is that it explains the rationale behind changes
from edition 1 to edition 2 of the standard.

As IEC 61511-4 is "informative" rather than "normative", it's unlikely that it should
influence any safety system project decisions.
Section 3 of 3

Summary

Functional Safety Standards

Functional safety standards are now relatively well established within industries such as Oil &
Gas upstream/downstream, chemicals and pharmaceuticals.

There are also many specific application standards that reference functional safety principles.

"SIL Capable" Devices

Anyone tackling a safety-related project in the process or machinery industry can now choose
from a range of "SIL capable", or so-called SIL certified devices. These can potentially solve
issues with achieving SIL ratings on safety projects, but some care is still needed. 

NOTE: SIL applies to an entire function, not a single device.

It is not valid to simply put together devices with SIL
certificates without completing a detailed SIL verification
activity.