In Germany, many EU countries, as well as in international industrial practice, the safe, reliable, and continuous operation of automated monitoring systems operating in hazardous environments is based on the international safety standards and technical directives presented below, including:
- SIL
- IEC 61508
- ATEX
The SIL 2/3 (IEC 61508) standard confirms that a company remains committed to functional safety and critical process management in high-tech industrial and municipal environments.
SIL (Safety Integrity Level) is based on the IEC 61508 technical standard (and its counterpart for the process industries, IEC 61511), which regulates the functional safety of electrical, electronic, and programmable electronic safety-related systems.
Companies manufacture SIL-certified variants of their products for processes where equipment failure could potentially cause significant environmental pollution or pose a threat to human life.
SIL 2/3 ratings are typically found in instruments designed to measure flow, level, pressure, and temperature. For German tenders or safety-critical projects, customers must specify the exact SIL-certified variant and part number.
For maximum safety, SIL-certified devices can be used in combination with ATEX/IECEx certified versions when the same process requires both functional safety and a design suitable for explosive atmospheres.
SIL assesses the reliability of the safety function, while ATEX/IECEx addresses the use of equipment in potentially explosive zones.
These certificates are intended for monitoring processes where hazardous substances or sewer gases can create an explosive atmosphere. Compliance with ATEX/IECEx depends on the specific model and configuration.
Collectively, these international safety frameworks and technical standards create a rigorous regulatory basis that ensures equipment reliability and risk reduction (SIL), defines mandatory safety requirements for the design and operation of automated systems (IEC 61508), and establishes strict explosion protection standards for the use of equipment in potentially explosive industrial environments (ATEX).
