IEC 61508

Functional Safety of E/E/PE Safety-Related Systems

IEC 61508 is the umbrella functional safety standard for E/E/PE safety-related systems. It defines the lifecycle, targets, systematic capability, hardware integrity, and assessment expectations that sector standards build on.

It applies across machinery, mining, energy, robotics, and other industrial products when a safety function depends on control logic, sensors, actuators, diagnostics, or software. The practical unit of compliance is a safety function, not a whole product.

CSA supports lifecycle planning, allocation, and fault analysis review, certification evidence, independent assessment readiness, team training, and staffing for functional safety managers and engineers.

Industrial MachineryMining & Off-HighwayEnergy & Process

Quick facts

Full nameFunctional Safety of E/E/PE Safety-Related Systems
Integrity scaleSIL 1-4
IndustriesIndustrial Machinery, Mining & Off-Highway, Energy & Process
Trainings2 CSA courses
CSA servicesGap analysis, program support, certification management

The certification path CSA runs for IEC 61508

Gap analysisWhere you stand today
Safety planScope, roles, evidence plan
Execute lifecycleAnalyses, requirements, V&V
AssessmentIndependent review
Certify & maintainCertificate and change control

How CSA helps with IEC 61508

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Assessment

Gap reviews, safety lifecycle audits, evidence checks, and assessment readiness.

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Certification support

Safety plans, safety cases, traceability, verification evidence, and assessor response support.

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Training

Private workshops and standard-specific training for engineering, product, and leadership teams.

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Staffing

Contract, direct-hire, embedded, and fractional safety leaders matched by standard and domain.

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Companies working to this standard

3019 companies in the All Companies directory are mapped to IEC 61508 by the generated company data.

Services for IEC 61508

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Risk Assessment

A complete ISO 12100 or sector-appropriate risk assessment with one stakeholder review cycle, producing the documented basis for your safety concept.

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Functional Safety Gap Analysis & Roadmap

Structured assessment of your current safety lifecycle and evidence against target standards, delivering a certification roadmap with effort estimates.

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Product Certification Management

A CSA safety manager runs your certification program end to end: planning, evidence management, assessor liaison, and closure.

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Not sure how IEC 61508 applies to your product?

A call with a CSA engineer will map the standard to your product and market in plain language.