Certification

Safety Integrity Levels (SILs) are a measure of the impact that a Safety Instrumented Function (SIF) has over the risk associated with a specific hazard. The higher the SIL level is, the more efficient that function will be at reducing the risk it mitigates. In other words, SIL can be seen as an indicator of the acceptable failure rate for a security function. SIL rating is a fundamental parameter to consider when comparing products; it is also an increasingly important requirement in various public and private tender invitations for the supply of mechanical systems and electrical and electronic products. SIL standards, developed by the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC), focus on functional safety. IEC standards define four SILs – 1 to 4 – a SIL is determined on the base of both quantitative and qualitative factors based on several methods used in combination, these include risk matrix, risk graphs and Layers of Protection Analysis (LOPA). The higher the SIL, the more serious the potential impact of a failure is, therefore the lower the acceptable failure rate is. SIL certification, within a given system, depends on multiple factors, these include: type of technologies; system architecture; number of system components; probability of failure on demand (PFD) of each component; diagnostic test intervals. A product with SIL certification is deemed “suitable for use within a given SIL environment”, in this way the entire system is taken into account. What is SIL 3? SIL 3 is one of the SILs defined by the IEC 61508 standard. SIL 3 is defined by a risk reduction factor of 1.000 – 10.000 of failure on demand and 10-8 – 10-7 for probability of failure per hour. It is a quantitative assessment of the acceptable failure level for a security function. Why is SIL 3 important? The SIL of a Safety Instrumented Function (SIF) in a Safety Instrumented System (SIS) is based on a number of methods such as Safety Layer Matrix (SLM), Layers of Protection Analysis (LOPA) or Fault Tree Analysis (FTA). The above methods take into a ccount the types of accident that can occur, their probability, the way they are related and their consequences in terms of cost. The recommended SIL level is therefore the appropriate level for the risks that your organisation faces. If SIL 3 is deemed the appropriate SIL, it means that SIL 3 is the minimum integrity level that can reduce the risk – that is, the cost per unit of time – associated with a particular hazard to an acceptable level. What does SIL 3 mean for device choice? SIL 3 is not designed to give a rating of a specific device, but of the function that a device (or a set of devices) performs. Is SIL 3 expensive? Evaluating the cost of a safety function is a difficult task. You need to be mindful that it is not just the upfront cost of implementing it, but also the cost associated with the risk that it mitigates. Implementing and maintaining SIL 3 will incur additional operating costs, it requires a specific skill set to be developed within the operating team and devices rated for SIL 3 use can be more expensive. Therefore, SIL 3 is only recommended under critical and specific circumstances. However, the cost of not implementing the appropriate SIL significantly outweighs the cost of implementing it. In conclusion SIL 3 is recommended only under special circumstances. Nevertheless, where it is deemed appropriate, SIL 3 is critical to ensuring the adequate safety of an operation.

The bizSAFE programme, supported by the Ministry of Manpower was designed to help companies build workplace safety and health capabilities. The programme includes SGSecure elements to help companies to put in place measures to manage potential terror threats. bizSAFE Level 3 recognises that your company has conducted risk assessments for every work activity and process in your workplace, in compliance with the requirements in the WSH

The American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) is an American maritime classification society established in 1862. Its stated mission to promote the security of life, property, and the natural environment, primarily through the development and verification of standards for the design, construction and operational maintenance of marine and offshore assets. ABS's core business is providing global classification services to the marine, offshore, and gas industries. As of 2020, ABS was the second-largest class society with a classed fleet of over 12,000 commercial vessels and offshore facilities. ABS develops its standards and technical specifications, known collectively as the ABS Rules & Guides. These Rules form the basis for assessing the design and construction of new vessels and the integrity of existing vessels and marine structures. The primary responsibility of ABS as a classification society is to verify that ABS-classed ships and marine structures comply with the established ABS Rules for design, construction, and periodic survey. If a vessel is found not to comply with the Rules, and the recommendations of ABS are not followed, then the society will suspend or cancel classification. ABS Rules are derived from principles of naval architecture, marine engineering, and associated disciplines. For vessels built to ABS class, ABS engineers must approve the vessel design during engineering review. After design approval, ABS field surveyors attend to the vessel from keel laying to delivery at the shipyard. During the construction of a vessel built to ABS class, surveyors witness the tests of materials for the hull and specific machinery items as required by the Rules. They also survey the building, installation, and testing of the structural and principal mechanical and electrical systems. Offshore & Energy Services ABS also develops standards for the design, construction, and operational maintenance of offshore drilling and production units and gas carriers of all types. These standards cover mobile offshore drilling units (such as jackup rigs, semisubmersible rigs, and drill ships), floating offshore production installations (spars, tension leg platforms, semisubmersibles, and FPSOs/FSOs), fixed offshore installations, pipelines, risers, and single point moorings. ABS was responsible for classing the first mobile offshore drilling unit, the first production spar, the first semisubmersible offshore wind turbine and the first offshore support vessel in the Gulf of Mexico to use hybrid power. Statutory Services ABS also acts as a Recognized Organization on behalf of more than 100 governments. A Recognized Organization is authorized by a flag State to conduct plan review and statutory surveys on ships registered under that flag on behalf of the nation's maritime administration. Typical regulations include the U.S. Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), SOLAS, MARPOL regulations, and the Load Line Convention. In addition to the national or international tonnage certificates, Panama and Suez Canal tonnage certificates can be issued by ABS on behalf of those authorities.