The global skills and competency framework for the digital world

Safety assessment SFAS

The assessment of safety-related software systems to determine compliance with standards and required levels of safety integrity. This involves making professional judgements on software engineering approaches, including the suitability of design, testing, and validation and verification methods, as well as the identification and evaluation of risks and the means by which they can be reduced. The establishment, maintenance and management of an assessment framework and practices.

Moving to SFIA 8

There is an updated version of this skill for SFIA 8.

  • Addition of new level 4 to support practitioner roles
  • Removed alignment of safety integrity levels with SFIA levels
  • Removed the names of specific standards and provided range of example approaches in the guidance notes
  • The skill descriptions have been edited for readability and guidance notes have been added
  • Details available here - SFIA 8 Safety assessment
  • SFIA 7 skill descriptions will remain available for you to use
  • Previous SFIA assessments are not impacted by this change.

Levels

Defined at these levels: 5 6

Safety assessment: Levels 1-4

This skill is not typically observed when working at these levels of responsibility.

Safety assessment: Level 5

Participates in assessments up to IEC 61508 Safety Integrity level 3 (or equivalent standard), and undertakes safety analyses on initial designs using HAZOPS, FMEA or similar methods.

Safety assessment: Level 6

Leads assessments up to IEC 61508 Safety Integrity level 4 (or equivalent standard) or participates in any level of assessment. Determines assessment methods, techniques and tools that are to be used as appropriate to the integrity levels of the assessments undertaken.

Safety assessment: Level 7

This skill is not typically observed when working at this level of responsibility.