ECQA Functional Safety Manager (SafEUr)

Description:

Functional safety of modern products and industry systems containing embedded systems has become a first priority in several industrial sectors. The IEC61508 group of standards require companies to have in place "Functional Safety Management". Domain specialized standards like ISO 26262 for the passenger cars complement IEC 61508. The objective of SafEUr is to create a European-wide accredited training and certification program for Functional Safety Managers, based on a skill card which is compliant to the European Qualification Framework. SafEUr delivers modern e-learning based training, that is based on practical case studies and best industry practices. This training will be complemented by a world-wide unique web-based integration platform for industry and academia in the domain of Embedded Systems. Certified SafEUr trainers are available all across Europe, assuring a major impact and sustainability of this ECQA job role.

The goal of SafEUr is to develop a europe-wide agreed syllabus and skills set for a Certified Functional Safety Manager with a clear focus on practice. The need for qualified safety personnel is obvious also the need for a commonly agreed skills set for a Functional Safety Manager. As SafEUr is designed as a modular course, a trainee can attend course Units and Elements separately and independently, although it is recommended to attend the entire SafEUr course.

After the course you can take an exam and become certified as ECQA Functional Safety Manager. This certificate is valid across Europe and is respected globally.

The Skill card comprises the following thematic learning units

1.     Introduction to Functional Safety Management

2.     Management of Functional Safety

3.     Engineering Aspects of Functional Safety

4.     Functional Safety on product and production level

5.     Legal Aspects of Functional Safety

Browse through the detailed content/skill card of the  ECQA Functional Safety Manager

Target Group

Managers responsible for Functional Safety on System and Component Level

System Architects and Designers on System

Engineers involved in functional safety - relevant engineering projects

Students involved in (industry or university) programs related to Integrated/Systems Engineering

Quality Managers

Qualification and Certification:

European Qualification Framework

SafEUr certification and training systems comply with guidelines for European Qualification Framework, aimed to assure that trainings offered all over Europe are comparable in relation to content and outcomes.

Accreditation of exam organizations, training organizations and trainers assure that the same level of service quality is assured all over Europe.

The ECQA Certified Functional Safety Manager is one of the many ECQA job roles, for which this certification and training schema is effective all over Europe. The ECQA is a non-profit association and provides an examination and certification system. Training is provided by several  authorised bodies.

Certification as Proof of Knowledge

Course attendees can take the ECQA Functional Safety Manager exam that is based on clearly defined performance criteria - linked to the SafEUr skill card.  The exam is managed by an ECQA online test system. After successfully passing the exam, attendees receive an ECQA® Functional Safety Manager Certificate.

Training plan

Summary

The training will be based on assignments, active elaborations by the course participants, and discussions. All course participants will work on examples specific for their own organisation. Specifically the following exercises will be emphasised:

• Working effectively with Safety Standards
• Methods for Functional Safety
• Safety Engineering
  • System Safety Analysis, Design, Test
  • Hardware Safety Analysis, Architecture
  • Software Safety Architecture, Design, Test
  • Product level Safety
• Legal liabilities for companies and persons involved in functional safety.

The Training Comprises 5 Units with 15 Elements

1.     Introduction to Functional Safety Management
a.      Introduction to International Safety Standards
b.     Product Lifecycle
c.      Terminology used in Functional Safety

2.     Management of Functional Safety
a.      Safety management on organisational and project level
b.     Safety Requirements and Safety Case Definition
c.      Overview of Required Engineering and V&V Methods
d.     Establish and Maintain Safety Planning

3.     Engineering Aspects of Functional Safety
a.      System Hazard Analysis and Safety Concept
b.     Integrating Safety in System Design & Test
c.      Integrating Safety in Hardware Design & Test
d.     Integrating Safety in Software Design & Test

4.     Functional Safety on product and production level
a.      Integration of Reliability in Design to Enhance Functional Safety
b.     Safety in the Production, Operation and Maintenance

5.     Legal Aspects of Functional Safety
a.      Legal aspects and Liabilities
b.     Regulatory & Qualification Requirements

Hints for Exam

To be accredited as an ECQA Functional Safety Manager, ALL elements need to be passed. The multiple choice exam will be online on the ECQA Skill & Exam System. The exam is modular, which means that if a participant passes a certain element that element is recognised as “successfully passed element” on the long term. On the certificate all elements, which the participant passed, are listed. For examination of missing elements participant may apply to a new exam, independently of previous exams.

• Each element includes 10 random generated multiple choice questions.
• To pass the element at least 66% has to be reached. The exam takes 90 minutes and approximately 60 questions have to be answered.
• Those participants who have passed, will be allowed to register in the ECQA online community to be listed as ECQA Functional Safety Managers (if they will approve the publishing). The certificate will be issued by the European Certification and Qualification Association (ECQA).
• Please tick in the system the proper answers. Be aware that more than one answer can be correct.
• Questions during the exam are not permitted and cannot be answered.
• You can close the test before the exam ends. You could even re-open and continue the test (without data loss) during the exam. After the exam is closed the test cannot be opened any more, results are visible.
• After closing the test, the attendee leaves the room.
• Photo identification (identity card, passport, driving license) must be presented for identification.
• The exam results are immediately visibly after the examiner closed the test in general.
• The certificate will be sent by post within 6 weeks of receipt of payment.

Costs for Exam
Exam after the course
The examination subsequent to a training by an accredited training provider will be free of cost for the attendee in the trial phase of the EU project. The cost of the external certifier ECQA will be covered by the EU project with no cost for attendees.

Registration

Course Registrations

Online System
You can register in the online learning system for self assessment and to attend the courses from here.

Bibliography:

Andreas Riel, Ovi Bachmann, Klaudia Dussa-Zieger, Christian Kreiner, Richard Messnarz, Risto Nevalainen, Bernhard Sechser, and Serge Tichkiewitch (2012) EU Project SafEUr - Competence Requirements for Functional Safety Managers, in Dietmar Winkler, Rory V. O'Connor, Richard Messnarz (eds), Systems, Software and Services Process Improvement, Communications in Computer and Information Science, Springer.

EuroSPI 2012 Presentations:

Andreas Riel, Ovi Bachmann, Klaudia Dussa-Zieger, Christian Kreiner, Richard Messnarz, Risto Nevalainen, Bernhard Sechser, and Serge Tichkiewitch (2012). EU Project SafEUr - Competence Requirements for Functional Safety Managers.

ECQA Days 2012 Presentations:

Richard Messnarz, "Application of Functional Safety in the Design of Complex Systems".  ECQA Conference, Krems, AT, 11.10.2012.

Method Park Software AG (Germany)
Klaudia Dussa-Zieger, Klaudia.Dussa-Zieger(at)methodpark.de

Spinet Oy (Finland)
Risto Nevalainen, risto.nevalainen(at)falconleader.fi

This project (Project number: 518632-LLP-1-2011-1-AT-LEONARDO-LMP) is carried out with the financial support of the Commission of the European Communities under the Lifelong Learning Program.