1) The document summarizes responses from 7 individuals on their companies' awareness and implementation of IEC 61508. 2) Most respondents were from safety system manufacturers (4) and represented companies in the chemicals, oil & gas, and automotive sectors (1 each). 3) Key challenges for companies included understanding requirements, determining safety integrity levels, and a lack of expertise, guidance and reliability data. Most companies had partly or were planning to implement the standard.

1. Question Summary of Responses
Supply chain role: End User 1
Consultancy 1
Test house and Certification Body
(Respondents: 7) Engineering Contractor
System Integrator 1
Safety System Manufacturer 4
Academia / Government
Regulator
Primary process industry Chemicals
sector: Pharmaceuticals
Oil & Gas
Petrochemical 1
(Respondents: 7) Defence
Transport
Research
Power
Automotive 1
Multiple 5
Country Situation: Standard generally seen as “Good Practice” 2
Mandatory 2
Regulator encourages
Adopted as Standard
Resistance to implementation
Lack of Awareness 1
Not adopted
Do not know/No opinion 2
Company Situation - Pluses: Safer Processes 2
Uniformity / Consistency across industries / sites 1
Uniformity / Consistency across Supply Chain
Provides a “Ready made” structure and a model for safety engineering
Cost Savings
Increased Sales
Improved competency 4
More effective delivery of Safe Systems
Company Situation - Minuses: Cost to implement; paper-work/bureaucracy 6
Complexity; Familiarity (lack of) 1
Lack of Expertise
Lack of Certified equipment
Disagree with Standard 1
None / No response/Do not know
Company Awareness: Representation on Standards Committees
Undertaken training 1
Implementing – fully (appropriate phases) 1
Implementing – partly 3
Company expert
Planning to Implement 2
None of the above
Company Compliance Mandatory on all / most 1
Requirement: Requested on some 4
None / No Response 2

2. Question Summary of Responses
Demonstration of Formal 4
Compliance: Informal
Don’t know / No response 3
Company Implementation System in place 1
Programme: System under development / part implemented 3
No programme 1
Don’t know / Not applicable 2
Industry Issues: Lack of reliability data
Lack of knowledge / expertise / manpower 3
Lack of Certified equipment
Complexity / Inconsistency of Standard 3
Supply Chain “integration”
Legal aspects / Liability 1
Cost
Company Issues: Understanding of requirements of the standard / Complexity 3
Techniques: SIL determination, Calibrating risk graphs, Risk 4
assessment
Reliability data availability
Cost 1
Partner Ignorance 2
Lack of Tools 1
Lack of Products
Lack of Resources 1
No opinion / Not applicable 1
Need for Guidance: SIL Determination / Allocation 1
Maintenance 1
Risk Analysis
Guidelines 1
Database Management
No Response / Do Not Know 5
Company Guidance and Extensive Guidance and Checklists exist 1
Checklists: Some Guidance and Checklists exist 3
Bought In
None / Don’t Know 3
External Sources used: Clubs and Specialist Organisations
Consultants 1
Regulators / Standards Bodies 3
Other Companies 2
Seminars / Courses
Software Systems
This Workshop
Internet
Academia 1
None 2
Workshop Participation: 6/7
Share Material: 4/7
Presentation: 1/7

3. Question Summary of Responses
Required Workshop Topics: o Certification of Products
o SIL Determination
o Guidelines and Examples
o Diagnostic Coverage
o Management Systems
o Legal Position / Status
o 61508 vs Machinery Industry
o 61508 vs Automotive Industry
Comments: Only Parts 1-5 are available in German
The standard is not accepted to BG (Berufsgenossenschaft)