Process - Safety

"Only simple systems are safe” is a central paradigm in plant safety. A priority is therefore the design of inherently safe processes. In order to attain additionally high availability for complex plants, international standards IEC 61508/61511 define concepts for complex safety systems. For the first time, internationally coordinated design strategies to prevent and handle faults are described (safety life cycle management).

Endress+Hauser adheres to the following principles:

	manufacturer declaration or certificate documents "SIL quality including proven in use” - standard instruments can thereby fulfill the "state of technology” required by many regulations.
	modifications on standard instruments, for example changes in hardware or software, are carried out according to IEC 61508 and thereby ensure consistent quality throughout the product´s life cycle.
	practical test instructions for the use of repetitive tests, e.g. while the plant is in operation.

In order to prevent toxic or explosive process media from reaching the environment during a fault in the primary process barrier, the instruments are designed with an additional barrier ("2nd seal”). These scalable solutions which range up to gas-tight separation with active alarm, are primarily designed as a protective measure for maintenance personnel. In addition, costs for unplanned plant downtimes can be avoided.