What is the difference between 62061 and 13849?

In the field of technical systems, safety is of utmost importance. Various safety standards have been established to ensure that these systems meet specific safety requirements. Two widely used safety standards are IEC 62061 and ISO 13849. Although both standards aim to ensure system safety, they have some key differences. In this article, we will explore and compare these two standards to understand their unique characteristics.

IEC 62061: Safety of machinery - Functional safety of electrical, electronic, and programmable electronic control systems

IEC 62061 is an international standard published by the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC). It specifically focuses on the safety of machinery and defines the requirements for functional safety of electrical, electronic, and programmable electronic control systems. The standard provides guidelines for designing, implementing, and maintaining safety-related control systems.

One of the main features of IEC 62061 is the concept of performance levels (PLs). PLs indicate the level of risk reduction achieved by a safety function. The standard defines five PLs, ranging from PL-a (low reliability) to PL-e (highest reliability). Each PL has specific requirements and design constraints.

ISO 13849: Safety of machinery - Safety-related parts of control systems

ISO 13849 is an international standard published by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). It focuses on the safety-related parts of control systems used in machinery. The standard provides a framework for the design and evaluation of safety-related control functions.

Unlike IEC 62061, which uses performance levels, ISO 13849 introduces the concept of a performance level (PL) as a measure of reliability for safety-related parts of control systems. There are five PLs defined in ISO 13849, ranging from PL-a (low reliability) to PL-e (highest reliability). Similar to IEC 62061, each PL has specific requirements and design constraints.

Differences between IEC 62061 and ISO 13849

Although both standards aim to ensure safety in technical systems, several differences set them apart:

1. Scope: IEC 62061 focuses on the functional safety of control systems used in machinery. On the other hand, ISO 13849 concentrates on the safety-related parts of control systems.

2. Approach: IEC 62061 uses a risk assessment approach based on performance levels (PLs), while ISO 13849 uses a performance level (PL) determination based on the categories of safety-related parts.

3. Terminology: The two standards use different terminology for specifying safety requirements and levels of reliability.

4. Implementation: The implementation guidelines and requirements also differ between the two standards.

In conclusion, both IEC 62061 and ISO 13849 play crucial roles in ensuring the safety of technical systems. They have their unique characteristics, including different approaches, terminology, and scopes. Understanding these differences is essential for engineers and professionals involved in designing and implementing safety-related control systems.