Functional Safety and SIL for Field Technicians
Master the Maintenance and Repair of SIL-Rated Devices — and Become a Certified Field Technician
Understand the Work Behind SIL — and Be Recognized for Maintaining It
Aligned with IEC 61511, you’ll learn where SIL comes from, how SIFs are defined, and how your maintenance and repair actions directly affect their performance. You’ll dive deep into fault types, proof testing, bypassing, documentation, and audit-readiness — and earn your Risknowlogy Specialist Certificate as a trained and certified Field Technician.
Key Course Outcomes
By completing this training, you will:
Module 1 - Introduction to Functional Safety
This module explains how real-world accidents have shaped the safety systems you work with. You’ll learn the core principles behind functional safety and why maintaining SIL-rated equipment correctly is critical for preventing failure.
Key topics:
- Functional safety shows up in accidents
- What is safety?
- Occupational safety versus Process safety
- Layers of protection
- Safety instrumented systems and safety instrumented functions
- What is functional safety?
- Two important functional safety standards for operators
- Safety integrity level
- SIF failures, states and process states
- Random, common cause and systematic failures
Module 2 - Hazard and Risk Analysis
Understanding the risk behind the function you’re servicing.
Before a SIF is installed, hazards are identified and risks calculated. This module shows you how those decisions were made — so you can understand the “why” behind the device or loop you're maintaining.
Key topics:
- Hazard and hazardous situation/event
- What is risk?
- How often something happens?
- How bad are the consequences?
- From hazard to hazardous event
- What is tolerable risk?
- Putting it all together
- Many Hazard & Risk Analysis techniques exist
- HAZard and OPerability study - HAZOP
- Layers Of Protection Analysis - LOPA
- Risk and risk reduction
- Process owners need to manage their risks
- SIF Description
- Role of Operators
Module 3 - Functional Safety Management
You’re part of a managed system — not just a maintenance team.
Discover how your work fits into the safety lifecycle, and what competency, validation, audits, and traceability mean for Field Technicians. Learn how your actions affect certification and safety documentation.
Key topics:
- Why manage safety?
- Functional Safety Management
- IEC 61511 safety lifecycle
- Need for a functional safety manager
- Competency of Operators
- How to proof competency
- Verification
- Validation
- Assessments
- Audits
- Assessment and audit stages
- The OMR phase requires an audit plan
- Tools are subject to audits
- Documentation
- Modifications
Module 4 - Planning the SIS
Safety starts with a plan — and ends with how well it's maintained.
In this module, you’ll learn what the safety plans require from Field Technicians, how to follow them, and how to ensure your work supports compliance with specifications and audit requirements.
Key topics:
- Definition of the needs to achieve safety with SIS
- Safety requirements specification - SRS
- Safety requirements specification - End user
- Application program - safety requirement specification
- Planning for end users
- Functional safety plan
- Verification plan
- Validation plan
- Assessment plan
- Audit plan
- Requirements for suppliers
Module 5 - Safety instrumented system - Hardware
Redundancy, voting logic, fault tolerance — this module breaks down the SIS architecture so you know how your maintenance actions support (or impact) system reliability.
Key topics:
- De-energize versus energize
- Low demand, high demand, continuous mode
- Target failure measure (PFDavg, PFH)
- Subsystems
- Redundancy
- Diversity
- Voting - MooN
- Hardware fault tolerance - HFT
- Hardware fault tolerance for safe failures - HFTs
- HFT and HFTs in practice
- Equipment Type A and Type B
- Testing, Diagnostic tests,Proof tests
- Safe failure fraction - SFF
- Architectural constraints
- Route 1h and route 2h
- Proven in use, Prior use
Module 6 - Hardware Reliability - PFD
What’s the real impact of missed maintenance or late repairs?
Explore failure probabilities and what it takes to keep a SIF within its required SIL level. Learn how test intervals, diagnostics, and response time affect the reliability of the safety system.
Key topics:
- Reliability analysis
- Example of simplified equations
- Simplified equations - practical matter
- Safety loop - PFD in motion
- PFD in graphics
Module 7 - Safety instrumented system - Software
This module helps you understand how software is structured within the SIS, how it behaves during faults, and what your role is when performing field testing, diagnostics, or changes involving logic solvers.
Key topics:
- Software locations in an SIS
- Safe software is needed
- OMR Software Activities
- Application program - IEC 61511
- Application program - Key ideas
Module 8 - Role of certification
You use certified devices — now understand what that really means.
From safety manuals to conformity reports, this module shows you how certification affects what you do in the field and how to recognize the difference between “compliant” and “risky.”
Key points:
- Dilemma for end users
- Everything can be SIL certified
- Why use certified devices and/or solutions
- What does this mean for OMR professionals
- Safety Manual: The basis for your OMR work
- How to proof your competence
Module 9 - Operation, maintenance and repair of SIFs
Learn how to perform maintenance and repairs that preserve SIL, follow IEC 61511 requirements, and produce audit-ready documentation. Understand what’s allowed, what’s risky, and what tools and procedures you must follow.
Key points:
- Operation, maintenance and repair (OMR)
- OMR plans
- Operation, maintenance, repair procedures
- Inspection
- Proof testing
- Bypass
- Repair
- Configuration management
- Operation, maintenance procedures - Training
- Alarm management
- Documentation
- Hidden modifications
Exercises
Work through real scenarios using your company’s actual OMR procedures. You’ll learn how to spot gaps, improve compliance, and build SIL awareness into every maintenance activity.
Exam
Take the Risknowlogy Knowledge Certification exam to validate your understanding and earn your title as a certified Field Technician in Functional Safety and SIL.
KNowledge Certification
YOur certification options
You can follow this training with or without certification. If you choose to take the exam, you’ll have the opportunity to earn the internationally respected Risknowlogy Specialist Certificate with the title FS Tech™— a credential that demonstrates your knowledge of functional safety and SIL in operations.
Role-Based Certification: There Is a Higher Level of Certification As Well.
This course prepares you for an advanced certification that goes beyond theory — it focuses on your practical experience as an operator working with SIL-rated safety instrumented functions (SIFs).
This Role-Based Certification is optional and available as a combo package alongside this training. If you’re not yet experienced, Risknowlogy will guide you toward gaining the experience you need.To qualify, you’ll need to:
Submit 2 real-world case studies.
Provide two references.
Interview.
The certification title depends on the number of hours you can prove. Based on this course, you can achieve Professional. But if you have enough hours also qualify asExpert or Master FS Field Technician.
Knowledge Certificate - FS Tech™
RISKNOWLOGY
Certified FS Tech™
RISKNOWLOGY
Certified FS Tech™
With DISTINCTION
Role Certificate - Certified Professional, Expert or Master Field Technician
Dr Michel Houtermans
Daniel P.
This training helped me understand exactly how my maintenance work impacts SIL. I now know what to check, document, and how to keep the system safe.
Hiroshi T.
Proof testing, bypassing, fault handling — all of it makes sense now. I feel way more confident doing my job after this course.
Markus L.
I used to just follow maintenance procedures without understanding the bigger picture. Now I know how my work supports functional safety and SIL compliance.
Ahmed S.
Getting the Risknowlogy Specialist Certificate gave me a real career boost. Auditors now trust my reports and I understand how my documentation fits into the safety lifecycle.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between Self-Study, Live Online and In-Person
- Self-Study: Self-study refers to the process of learning independently without direct supervision or guidance from a teacher or instructor. In many instances we do have periodic live Q&A sessions.
- Live Online: During live online training participants attend live sessions conducted by an instructor or trainer through MS Teams or Zoom
- In-Person: During in-person training participants and trainers gather together physically in the same location for example your company office or a hotel.
Can I cancel and get a refund if I'm and not satisfied?
- The course comes with a 7 day money back guarantee.
- Exception: Once you have earned your Course Certificate, you are no longer eligible for a refund, even if you earn your Certificate within the 7 days refund period.
- You can request a refund up until 1 day before the training course starts.
- You can request a refund up until 7 days before the training course starts.
How, when and how long can I access the course material?
- Self-Study: A few days before or the day the training starts. You will have access to the course material for life. After the deadline you will not have access to exam material.
- Live Online: Before the training starts so you can print your material
- In-Person: Depends on the arrangement
How and when can I do the exam?
- Self-study: The exam is available at any time. You can do it as soon as you feel confident.
- Live Online: As soon as the course is finished
- In Person: As soon as the course is finished