What Does
Functional Safety Mean?
Functional safety is a specific aspect of safety management that relates to a particular system or piece of equipment operating correctly. It looks at the potential dangers arising from the malfunctioning of a system or piece of equipment. It then involves putting in place back-up safety measures to overcome the malfunction.
Safeopedia Explains Functional Safety
Functional safety relies on active systems, as opposed to passive systems. An example of an active safety system is the use of smoke detectors to detect a fire danger and the subsequent intelligent activation of a fire safety system. In contrast, a passive system such as a fire-retardant door is not a functional safety measure because there is no active system triggered.