ABB’s Safety Lead Competency Centre (SLCC) and Engineering Safety Consultants (ESC) have announced the launch of an e-learning technical training course entitled “Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA) incorporating FMECA and FMEDA in the context of IEC 61508’’.

As the functional safety marketplace continues to grow at a pace, many new and existing devices are available for use in safety related applications. It requires an adequate level of competence to be able to achieve compliance with IEC 61508 and IEC 61511 in order to use these devices within a safety instrumented system (SIS). In many cases, the information on such devices requires intelligent interpretation and analysis in order to ensure that they are designed and engineered in accordance with the requirements of the standard. Competency in FMEA is a cornerstone of effective design, implementation and integration of complex safety related devices.

This new course has been developed to meet industry needs to ensure engineers receive appropriate training and mentoring for the challenges in compliance with IEC 61508 requirements. Recognising that attendance at an equivalent 2 day training course is becoming an increasing burden on resource and impacts on diaries in today’s busy working environment, the e-learning approach can overcome the difficulties for key personnel of setting aside a number of hours to complete the necessary training.

Importantly, this training can be achieved to suit each engineer’s busy schedule, whilst ensuring the rigour of feedback testing and worked examples underpins the course objectives.

The e-learning training course will be of direct benefit to instrument engineers, hardware specialists, project engineers and students/graduates who require authoritative training and awareness within this safety related topic area.

The partnership of ABB and ESC in developing this course brings together two organisations that have expert knowledge in functional safety, international standards, design, engineering and consultancy of SIS with a large and growing worldwide client base.