Hochiki Europe has announced the introduction of an innovative new fire detection range that is independently evaluated and certified to meet the strict requirements of Safety Integrity Level 2 (SIL2), with respect to the IEC 61508 Functional Safety of Electrical/Electronic/Programmable Electronic Safety-Related Systems standard.
Hochiki Europe’s SIL2 range includes smoke sensors, multi-sensors, multi-heat sensors, manual call points, sounders and sounder beacons, and a wide variety of detectors. These devices will be of interest to those responsible for configuring life safety systems in hazardous environments such as the oil, gas, petrochemical, manufacturing, transport and process control industries.
A number of major accidents, as well as the increasing use of electrical, electronic or programmable electronic systems to carry out safety functions, have raised awareness of the importance of designing safety systems in such a way as to prevent dangerous failures, or to control them when they arise. In order to address the requirements of IEC 61508, there was an increased need to develop a standard to guide manufacturers in what they needed to do to substantiate that their products and systems are safe for their intended uses.
A SIL rating applies to an entire system and is used to reduce risk and improve safety through a formalised and quantifiable methodology. It does this by measuring safety system performance and the probability of failure on demand – a value that indicates the likelihood of a system failing to respond to an emergency event. There are four integrity levels associated with SIL, in ratings 1-4. The higher the SIL level, the lower the probability of failure on demand and the better the performance of the safety system. It is important to also note that, in the vast majority of cases, as the SIL level increases, so does the complexity of the system.
SIL approval is fast becoming a prerequisite in oil and gas markets all over the world, from Australia to the Middle East, North Africa and even offshore in the UK. It is also increasingly stipulated for projects within the rail transport sector.
Graham Lowe, sales director at Hochiki Europe, commented: "Many of our customers now require SIL certified products as a way to ensure the integrity of their life safety systems. We work extensively within the oil and gas sectors, as well as the transport industries, which is why we have developed a SIL2 range. The investment we have made in obtaining this approval is an indication of our commitment to the European and international markets, which account for a large part of our overall business activities."
