Functional Safety

Defining functional safety in today's systems 

Functional safety is about reducing the risks of simple and complex systems, such that they function safely in the event there is an electrical or electronic malfunction. As more products incorporate complex microelectronics and software into their design, it is becoming increasingly challenging for quality and safety engineers to assess and implement functional safety at the system level. A few examples of this include:          

• Autonomous vehicles
• Machine safety and robotics   
• Industrial control systems (ICS)
• Consumer smart home products
• Smart factories and supply chains
• Safety instrumented systems and hazardous location control systems

How UL Solutions helps shape the functional safety landscape

UL Solutions is dedicated to helping customers navigate the complex technical and regulatory challenges of today’s functional safety landscape. With our extensive certification expertise and holistic approach to safety engineering and assessment, we can help customers identify, specify and determine the functional safety of products and systems to key standards and ratings such as: 

• Safety Integrity Level (SIL) as defined by International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) 61508 which is designed for the process, oil, gas and petrochemical industries. Additional standards are also derived for other industries, including:
  • Safety of machinery as defined by IEC/EN 62061, ISO 13849 and EN 15194
  • Safety instrumented systems (SIS) for the process industry as defined by IEC 61511 and ISA 84 (approved ANSI/ISA-61511) 
  • Power drive systems as defined by IEC 61800-5-2
  • Programmable controllers as defined by IEC 61131-6 
  • Railway applications as defined by EN 50126, EN 50128, EN 50129, EN 50155 and EN 50657, and their IEC equivalents (IEC 62278, IEC 62279 and IEC 62425) 
  • Power distribution as defined in UL 9540, the Standard for Energy Storage Systems and Equipment, and IEC 62619 
  • Safety related devices adapted in hazardous areas as defined in ATEX Directives, using EN 50495, EN 50271 and EN 1755
  • Commercial appliances and tools where safety software is defined in IEC 62841, UL 991, the Standard for Tests for Safety-Related Controls Employing Solid-State Devices, UL 1998, the Standard for Software in Programmable Components, and IEC/UL 60730-1 Annex H
• Performance Level (PL) as defined by International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 13849
• Class of control function as defined by IEC/UL 60730-1
• Automotive Safety Integrity Level (ASIL) as defined by ISO 26262
• Autonomy safety as defined by ISO 21448 and UL 4600, the Standard for the Evaluation of Autonomous Products
• Machinery standards: ISO 13849, IEC 62061, ISO 25119, ISO 19014, ISO 12100

Benefits of working with UL Solutions for automotive and industrial functional safety

Building on our safety science and engineering expertise in many different functional safety domains — including automation and machinery, signaling and alarm systems, medical devices, automotive, autonomous vehicles, lighting and appliances — we provide customers with a single global partner for all safety challenges and specific market needs.

Manufacturers, system integrators and suppliers around the world are able to take advantage of the full depth of our services, bundling traditional UL Solutions product safety investigations with our functional safety assessments for greater project efficiencies and speed to market.

Whatever the need or challenge, we can help determine the best assessment process for specific products, based on the reasons for conducting a functional safety assessment and/or a product’s intended use.

Some European directives require a functional safety evaluation of specific products. Trade unions and regulatory bodies such as the U.S. OSHA require or encourage a functional safety evaluation in addition to a traditional safety evaluation. Insurers also may require a functional safety evaluation before a customer installs equipment in a workplace and may provide discounted premiums to customers who use products that have been evaluated for functional safety. We are expertly qualified to help customers address these unique requirements and can help reinforce a point of differentiation in the marketplace through the use of the UL Mark, one of the most recognized symbols in the world.

UL Marks for functional safety are available as a global, U.S., Canadian and European designation. We are United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS) accredited and a Notified Body (NB) for the (EU) Machinery Directive. Our functional safety Marks puts the safety rating — such as the SIL or PL  — directly with our Marks, making it easier for users and interested parties to understand exactly what and how the product and/or function has been certified.

Functional safety (FUSA) certification programs

In addition, UL Solutions provides personnel certification programs in functional safety.

• The UL Certified Functional Safety Certification Program is designed to provide individuals an opportunity to set themselves apart with a credential focused on the critical knowledge and skills in the area of Functional Safety. Individuals certified in this area possess demonstrated knowledge of industry practices as evidenced by the completion of several competencies. Certifications levels are:
  • UL Certified Functional Safety Professional (UL-CFSP)
  • UL Certified Functional Safety eXpert (UL-CFSX)

  Current trainings and certifications exist within general automotive, semiconductor, autonomous vehicles, machinery, industrial automation, cybersecurity, and high tech. These include coverage for ISO 26262, ISO 21448, IEC 61508, ISO 13849, UL/IEC 60730, UL 1998, UL 991, ISO/SAE 21434, IEC 62443, ISO 25119, ISO 19014 and UL 4600.

  We also offer tailored and customized training based on software safety, cybersecurity, risk assessment, Failure Modes Effects and Diagnostics Analysis (FMEDA) calculations, and other related subjects. Our training and personnel certification programs can be found on our Knowledge Solutions training center. See also our training partner: kVA by UL Solutions.