Course Overview
This professional development course is designed for engineers and technicians who wish to develop their knowledge of the design and implementation of safety instrumented systems as applied to industrial processes.
Course Benefits
- You may be eligible to claimĀ CPD pointsĀ through your local engineering association
- Receive a Certificate of Completion from EIT.
- Learn from well-known faculty and industry experts from around the globe.
- Flexibility of attending anytime from anywhere, even when you are working full-time.
- Interact with industry experts during the webinars and get the latest updates/announcements on the subject.
- Experience a global learning with students from various backgrounds and experience which is a great networking opportunity.
- Develop knowledge of the design and implementation of safety instrumented systems as applied to industrial processes.
- Learn the key requirements of the IEC 61511 standard for all stages of the safety project and methods for avoiding spurious trips.
- Study the implications of Safety Integrity Levels (SILs), SIL calculations, importance of alarms in safety-critical applications, and the key features of safety-certified PLCs.
- Get practical experience in calculating failure probabilities for single and redundant Safety Instrumented Systems (SIS) designs, selecting instruments and controllers suitable for safety systems, managing the application software project for your safety system, and optimizing proof testing intervals.
- Learn for industrial experts on topics like HAZARD, HAZOP, ALARP etc.
Safety Instrumentation Systems Short Course Details
Safety control systems are widely used in hazardous processes to protect people, the environment, and equipment against serious harm. Many countries look for compliance with international standards IEC 61508 and IEC 61511 as a benchmark of acceptable quality in the design and management of safety controls.
This course will explain the key requirements of the IEC 61511 standard for all stages of the safety project from hazard and risk assessment studies through to hardware and software engineering and on to the maintenance and proof testing regimes. We will also go over methods for avoiding spurious trips.
You will learn about the meaning and implications of Safety Integrity Levels (SILs), how SIL targets are determined, the role of alarms in safety-critical applications, and the key features of safety-certified PLCs.
Other topics covered include calculating failure probabilities for single and redundant Safety Instrumented Systems (SIS) designs, selecting instruments and controllers suitable for safety systems, managing the application software project for your safety system, and optimizing proof testing intervals.
Practical examples and discussions will assist you in developing your skills in this crucial aspect of instrument engineering.
The course is composed of 12 modules, covering topics such as the fundamentals of risk assessment and the role of safety regulations, the principles of risk reduction by Safety Instrumented Systems (SIS), the differences between a basic control system and an SIS, the roles of standards IEC 61508 and IEC 61511, and the principles and application of the safety life cycle for project management. You will also learn to process hazard study methods, including HAZOP, use fault tree analysis to predict accident rates and failure rates, design the SIS to meet IEC requirements for SIL targets, and understand failure modes and the concepts of fault tolerance.
Module 1: Overview of Safety Instrumented Systems
- Safety system basics with an example SIS
- Hazards, risks and risk reduction
- Principles of safety management
- Functional safety standards IEC 61508/61511
- Setting SIL targets
- Designing to meet SIL targets
- Cost of ownership
Module 2: Safety Life Cycle Models
- Purpose of life cycle models
- IEC 61511 requirements
- Step by step activities
Module 3: Hazard Study Methods
- Hazard studies and project stages
- Hazard identification methods
- HAZOP method
- Developing SIS requirements
- Fault tree analysis
Module 4: Risk Reduction by SIS
- Deciding risk targets
- Principle of ALARP and tolerable risk
- Layers of protection and role of alarms
- Risk reduction models
- Preparing a safety requirements specification
Module 5: SIL Determination Methods
- Quantitative and risk matrix methods
- Risk graphs
- Layers of protection analysis
- Practical examples
Module 6: Designing SIS Structures
- Design procedure steps
- IEC 61511 guidelines
- Architectures and fault tolerance
- Choosing the right structures for the job
Module 7: Selecting Instruments for Safety Duties
- Switches versus transmitters
- Failure modes of sensors and actuators
- Minimising dangerous failures
- Qualification by design and certification
- Qualification by prior use
- Smart instruments and diagnostic
- Coverage
Module 8: Reliability Analysis
- Purposes of reliability calculations
- SIS failure modes, safe and dangerous
- Formulae and how to use them
- Worked examples
- Obtaining reliability data and the problems
- Review of software tools
Module 9: Safety-certified PLCs
- Logic solvers, old and new
- Development of safety PLCs
- Hardware and software features
- Review of industry types
- Communications and networking
- Integrated basic and safety control
Module 10: Application Software for Safety Duties
- The problem with software
- IEC software life cycle models
- Application software steps
- Factory acceptance testing
- Quality assurance and certification
Module 11: Documentation and Management
- Documents needed for the SIS project
- Verification and validation
- Operations
- Management of change
Module 12: Diagnostics and Proof Testing
- Proof testing and why it is needed
- Testing of sensors
- Partial closure testing of valves
- Optimising the proof test interval
To obtain a certificate of completion for EITās Professional Certificate of Competency, students must achieve a 65% attendance rate at the live, online fortnightly webinars.Ā Detailed summaries/notes can be submitted in lieu of attendance.Ā In addition, students must obtain a mark of 60% in the set assignments which could take the form of written assignments and practical assignments. Students must also obtain a mark of 100% in quizzes.Ā If a student does not achieve the required score, they will be given an opportunity to resubmit the assignment to obtain the required score.
For full current fees in your country go to the drop down filter at the top of this page or visit the Fees page.
Payment Methods
Learn more aboutĀ payment methods, including payment terms & conditions and additional non-tuition fees.
John Lawrence is extensively associated with the Diamond and Gold mining industries in Southern Africa, and has over 20 years of experience as a project and departmental manager for a multinational oil company, focusing on designing and managing the infrastructure of the telecommunications, data communications and IT systems.
Learn aboutĀ our instructors.
You are expected to spend approximately 5-8 hours per week learning the course content. This includes attending fortnightly webinars that run for about 90 minutes to facilitate class discussion and allow you to ask questions. This program has a 65% attendance requirement in the live webinars in order to graduate from the program.Ā If you are unable to attend the live webinars, you have the option of watching the recording of completed webinars and sending a summary of what you have learnt from the webinar to the Learning Support officer.Ā The summaries go towards your attendance requirement for the program.
This program is run online on an intensive part-time basis and has been designed to fit around full-time work. It will take three months to complete.
We understand that sometimes work commitments and personal circumstances can get in the way of your studies, so if at any point you feel that you are struggling with the pace of the course or finding a particular module challenging, you are encouraged to contact your designated Learning Support Officer for assistance.
Registrations are open for our upcoming intakes. Please ensure you book your place at least one week before the start date of the program.
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