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The Importance of Functional Safety Assessment and its Application
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Figure: 1 – Primary Cause by Phase (Source: HSE Publication – Out of Control)
To ensure that these failures or gaps are significantly reduced, periodic assessment of the activities
will need to be undertaken against the requirements of the FS standards. Therefore, Functional
Safety Assessments (FSA) shall be performed periodically to ensure that systematic failures are not
introduced and to demonstrate that the systematic capability of the safety related system(s) is
achieved / maintained.
3. Is FS Assessment and FS Audit Synonymous?
Often Functional Safety Assessments are confused with Functional Safety Audits. Though they sound
alike, they are clearly different.
The purpose of the Functional Safety Audit is to ensure compliance to the procedures and correct
implementation of the project execution process. It does not necessarily provide any judgement on
whether functional safety has been achieved or maintained. This typically forms part of the Quality
Management System (QMS) of the organisation responsible for the respective phase of the safety
lifecycle. The records of the audits are reviewed as part of the FSAs.
Functional Safety Assessments are judgement made by assessors so as to ensure that functional
safety is not compromised. The assessments rely more on the awareness and technical competence
of the assessor. The FS assessment will focus more on the technical aspects in addition to the
procedural aspects. Therefore, any gaps identified during the assessment process and which can
affect functional safety performance will require appropriate remediation, failing which the FSA
process endorsed by senior management can reserve the right to hold further progress of the project
activities until such remediation can be demonstrated.