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Abstract
Best in Class companies (both National and Global) continue to invest in safety systems; this in most cases is
because safety is at the core of their production process and among their key performance metrics, closely
linked to their productivity.
Many unfortunate industrial accidents such as the recent explosion of the Deep Water Horizon with the largest
marine oil spill in history are evidence of the negative consequences they have on people, environment,
production assets and corporations.
This paper discusses the accepted definition of safety and risk reduction in the industry and will discuss the best
practices applied by engineers in the design of products for mission critical functions and the implementation of
those products in projects.
Both in product design and implementation, this session will dedicate special attention to methodologies or work
processes used to reduce potential common cause failures that might impair the operation of the safety system
and ultimately expose the facility to a higher risk; and the human factor considerations recommended to ensure
proper operation upon a critical condition or an emergency in the industrial process.
Keywords:
Safety, Risk Reduction, Safety Systems, Independent Protection Layers, Common Cause Failures, Functional
Safety Management System, IEC61508, IEC61511, TÜV, third party certification, Human Factors