Conformity provides competitive advantage

A Sira product story

Edited by the Engineeringtalk editorial team Mar 20, 2007

Sira's Functional Safety Manager, Paul Reeve, looks at the benefits of using the CASS Scheme methodology as a way to demonstrate conformity with IEC61508 and gain a competitive advantage.

Demonstrating conformity to IEC61508 can be a daunting task, but by using a transparent and commercial approach to the certification process, suppliers of safety-related products and systems can gain some significant benefits in the market place.

Industry and regulators from around the world have developed IEC61508, a generic standard with application in any industry where safety systems are used.

In contracts and tendering situations, certification to IEC61508 is often a pre-requisite, or can offer a significant advantage over the competition.

Sira uses the CASS (Conformity Assessment of Safety-related Systems) methodology for assessment and certification to IEC61508, which has been specifically designed to give the following benefits: reduce costs; enhance reputation; increase competitiveness; demonstrate regulatory compliance; procure with confidence; reduce time to market; and enhance market opportunities.

The CASS Scheme provides a rigorous and internationally acceptable structure under which consistent certification of safety related systems can take place.

The scheme is operated through independent third-party certification bodies that are accredited to the European and International accreditation standards.

If you are involved in safety systems - determining SILs, specifying, developing, manufacturing, integrating, installing, operating or maintaining, or you provide consultancy services - your business can be enhanced and extended by CASS accredited certification.

Using the CASS methodology, Sira has developed a range of certification services to allow suppliers and users of safety-related products and systems to get the full benefits out of the scheme.

These services can include structured training or informal consultancy "clinics" as required for safety-related hardware or software designs, with guidance on the interpretation of IEC61508 or related standards.

A "gap-analysis" is also advantageous and is recommended, as it gives an indication of how close to conformity you are, and will help to devise an "action-plan" of how to achieve conformity and the competitive advantages that this brings.

Together with the above, Sira offer two types of accredited certification.

Approved product certificates are applicable to safety products or subsystems.

This certificate verifies all the necessary data required by IEC61508 to support the use of the product within safety applications.

Approved company certificates are applicable to organisations involved at any phase(s) of the safety system lifecycle.

This certificate verifies that the organisation's management of functional safety meets the requirements of IEC61508 (Part 1, clause 6).

Sira was the first certification body in the world to be accredited for functional safety certification to IEC61508.