IEC 61508 is the base international standard for the functional safety of electrical, electronic and programmable electronic safety-related systems, applicable across industries and forming the basis for several sector-specific derivatives such as ISO 26262 for road vehicles and IEC 61511 for process industries. It defines a safety lifecycle, Safety Integrity Levels (SIL) and requirements for hardware and software development.

Functional safety

What is IEC 61508?

LAST REVIEWED 2026-08-19

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