The Monitor - Gas and Flame Detection News

Feature Article:.

SIL 101: How Safe Do I Need to Be?

SIL - Safety Integrity Levels

The global importance of SIL (Safety Integrity Levels) has grown substantially in the oil/gas, petrochemical and other process industries over the last 10 years. However, for many end users, systems integrators, and product vendors, SIL is still a somewhat ambiguous concept that often is misinterpreted and incorrectly implemented. In order to fully understand SIL and its implications, it is important to grasp the overarching concept known as Functional Safety, and how it applies to Safety Instrumented Systems (SIS) within the process industries.

Functional Safety and SIS Background
Functional Safety, as defined by IEC standard 61508, is the safety that control systems provide to an overall process or plant. The concept of Functional Safety was developed in response to the growing need for improved confidence in safety systems. Major accidents around the world, as well as the increasing use of electrical, electronic or programmable electronic systems to carry out safety functions, have raised awareness and the desire to design safety systems in such a way as to prevent dangerous failures or to control them when they arise.

Read the full article, which provides detailed SIL information.