At Hazardex Live 2025, Stephen Beedle, a Principal Consultant in TÜV Rheinland's Process Safety Group, will be looking at the need for independence in terms of the Basic Process Control System when carrying out SIL assessments.

This requirement is defined in IEC 61511 which essentially says the BPCS can appear in a SIL assessment, such as a Layer of Protection Analysis, as an initiating event or an independent protection layer, but not both at the same time. Rigorous enforcement of this requirement has major implications for process safety, sometimes demanding higher-reliability SIFs – but at what cost?

We’ll cover practical ways to ensure this independence, including best practices for Layer of Protection Analysis (LOPA) and common challenges during assessments. Real-world examples will show how these changes affect site safety strategies and system design. Attendees will gain a clearer understanding of how to meet these requirements, ensuring compliance and effective risk reduction. This presentation is ideal for safety professionals and engineers adjusting to regulatory changes in the application of functional safety standards.

About the author:

Stephen Beedle, is a Principal Consultant in the Process Safety Group, working in the areas of risk assessment, SIL and COMAH. Stephen is an accredited SIL and hazard study leader and has been a course tutor on the TÜV Hazard Study Leaders and Advanced SIL courses for several years.