If you’ve got lots of proven field history for a product, you should be able to claim that good work and get your product certified for use in functional safety applications. It is certainly still a challenge, but it is easier than certifying a new product. The…
exida explains Blog
- by Loren Stewart, CFSE
- Tuesday, May 07, 2019
- Functional Safety
Back to Basics 06 – IEC 61508
In the following series of blogs, we'll go back to basics and run down everything you need to know to get started in functional safety. We'll start with some more general terms and descriptions and make our way to more advanced material.
IEC 61508: 2010 International Performance-Based Standard
The
- by Robert J. Michalsky
- Thursday, May 02, 2019
- Industrial Cybersecurity
Why the Docker Breach is Noteworthy
All data breaches expose some type of IT (Information Technology) or OT (Operating Technology) system vulnerability. Cybersecurity professionals then need to evaluate and determine appropriate responses for themselves and their clients. It might be patching software, revising work processes or altering incident response techniques.
- by Loren Stewart, CFSE
- Monday, April 29, 2019
- Functional Safety
Back to Basics 05 – What is a Safety Function?
A Safety Function is the action of a collection of equipment to implement automatic mitigation of a particular hazard. It is the job of the Safety Instrumented Function (SIF).
Some examples of common Safety Functions:
- Car brake stop
- ESD valve – Shutdown process
- Sprinkler system
- High…
- by Todd Stauffer
- Thursday, April 25, 2019
- Alarm Management
Don’t Let Your Safe Operating Limits Leave You S-O-L (Out of Luck)
As the name implies, the purpose of Safe Operating Limits (SOL) is to define the limits beyond which a process will not intentionally be operated and at which troubleshooting ceases, replaced by pre-determined actions to bring the process to a safe state. Pretty important information. I am sure this is…
- by Loren Stewart, CFSE
- Sunday, April 21, 2019
- Functional Safety
Back to Basics 04 - Safety Instrumented System (SIS)
In the following series of blogs, we'll go back to basics and run down everything you need to know to get started in functional safety. We'll start with some more general terms and descriptions and make our way to more advanced material.
4. SIS
A SIS – Safety Instrumented…
- by Patrick O'Brien
- Monday, April 15, 2019
- Industrial Cybersecurity
CACE Specialties, Now That’s New!
Cyberattacks have become the new norm for industrial control systems. A recent study found that 54% (more than half) of companies surveyed had experienced a cyber-attack on their Industrial control system within the last two years[1].
The need for well-trained, competent individuals to address cybersecurity for industrial control systems…
- by Loren Stewart, CFSE
- Wednesday, April 10, 2019
- Functional Safety
Back to Basics 03 - Safety Instrumented Function (SIF)
In the following series of blogs, we'll go back to basics and run down everything you need to know to get started in functional safety. We'll start with some more general terms and descriptions and make our way to more advanced material.
3. SIF
SIF – Safety Instrumented Function…
- by Loren Stewart, CFSE
- Thursday, March 28, 2019
- Functional Safety
Back to Basics 02 - Safety Integrity Level (SIL)
In the following series of blogs, we'll go back to basics and run down everything you need to know to get started in functional safety. We'll start with some more general terms and descriptions and make our way to more advanced material.
2. Safety Integrity Level (SIL)
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- by Ted Stewart, CFSP, exidaCSP
- Tuesday, March 26, 2019
- Functional Safety
China Probes Factory as Death Toll Rises
Walking into work last week and seeing this article reassured me why I work at exida. Incidents, like this recent one at a pesticide plant in eastern China, are why we push every day to help educate people about the importance of functional safety.
Have you heard about…
- by Loren Stewart, CFSE
- Thursday, March 21, 2019
- Functional Safety
Back to Basics 01 - Functional Safety
In the following series of blogs, we'll go back to basics and run down everything you need to know to get started in functional safety. We'll start with some more general terms and descriptions and make our way to more advanced material.
1. Functional Safety
Functional safety means the…
- by Dr. William Goble, CFSE
- Tuesday, March 05, 2019
- Certification
exida Failure Rates are Higher Than TÜV Italia. Who Is Right?
An owner-operator engineer compared the failure rates for two similar products from an exida certificate with those from a TÜV Italia certificate. exida numbers were an order of magnitude higher. Who is right?
There are some relevant fundamental facts in the field of Reliability Engineering:
- Failure rate prediction methods depend…
- by Loren Stewart, CFSE
- Thursday, February 21, 2019
Where Do You Stand with Functional Safety?
This year, make your New Year’s resolution safety!
Take a moment this year and think about where you currently stand with functional safety. And actually, be honest with yourself. REALLY honest. Do you proof test on time, or does it sometimes get pushed out? Do you pull your devices…
- by Robert J. Michalsky
- Wednesday, February 13, 2019
- Industrial Cybersecurity
What can OT learn from IT data breaches?
Does your organization even have a CISO position?
Cybersecurity continues to be an overlooked aspect in organizations—including those owning ICS (Industrial Control System) production facilities. Anyone following the news has most assuredly heard of the plethora of massive data breaches that organizations have endured over the last…
- by Loren Stewart, CFSE
- Thursday, January 31, 2019
- Functional Safety
Setting Goals for 2019: Are You Thinking About Functional Safety?
When I went to set my goals for 2019, I set both personal and professional goals. One of my professional goals is to clean off my desk, but another is to get more people to think about functional safety before an accident occurs, instead of when they are normally…