Speaker
Description
International Functional Safety standards such as IEC 61508, IEC 61511 and IEC 62061 provide a structured framework for the design, development, validation, and management of safety-critical systems, covering hardware, software, and system architecture aspects. In the context of particle accelerators, these standards are increasingly relevant to ensuring robust and reliable protection for the accelerator complex and its industrial facilities.
At CERN, Functional Safety principles have already been successfully applied in several cases to enhance the reliability and robustness of safety-critical systems. Building on this experience, a dedicated Functional Safety Task Force has been established to address the specific challenges encountered in accelerator facilities and to promote a coherent, laboratory-wide approach.
This talk will present ongoing efforts within the task force, including the management of safety systems across their life cycle, the definition of a CERN-wide tolerable risk framework, and the evaluation of appropriate tools and methodologies. The aim is to foster discussion and alignment on best practices to further strengthen the reliability and safety of particle accelerator operations, with applications extending beyond CERN to the broader accelerator community.