Independent functional safety.
IEC 61508 and IEC 61511 assessment, verification and substantiation for nuclear, process and defence systems.
- 1oo2 “one out of two” · voting architecture
- Two independent channels, either one sufficient to bring the plant to a safe state.
The name is the principle: assessment that sits apart from the organisation doing the design or the delivery.
What I do
Hazard analysis and specification
- SIL determination
- LOPA studies establishing the integrity target for each safety function, traced to the hazard it protects against.
- Safety requirements specification
- Requirements written so they can actually be verified, and traced back to the hazard analysis that demanded them.
Design and realisation
- Safety instrumented system design
- SIS design lead: safety philosophy, architecture, basis of design, functional and detailed design specifications, software and V&V plans, device selection and proof-test regimes, on projects where I am engaged as designer rather than assessor.
- SIL verification
- Probability of failure on demand, architectural constraints and systematic capability: the three requirements a claimed SIL has to meet, with the assumptions laid out to be audited.
- Application programming review
- Safety application software reviewed against IEC 61511 clause 12.
HIMA safety PLCs: SILworX and ELOP II (certified engineer, 2014–2020); FSAs on PLC-based SISs since
Siemens S7 (Step 7): transferable to S7 F through common IEC 61508 principles
Verification, validation and assessment
- Design verification and substantiation
- Substantiation reports on existing and proposed designs, including legacy systems with thin documentation.
- Validation witnessing
- Factory and site acceptance testing witnessed on the client's behalf, against the safety requirements rather than the vendor's test script.
- Independent functional safety assessment
- FSA stages 1 to 5, as lead assessor or independent checker, carried out independently of the design and delivery organisation.
- Independent checking
- Verification of FSA reports and other safety deliverables prepared by other practitioners or assessors.
Management and competence
- Functional safety management systems
- Writing the procedures the standard expects (safety lifecycle, competency management, management of change, verification and audit), or gap-assessing the ones already in place.
- Client-side safety authority
- Specifying and assuring a vendor's safety system work, and holding functional safety management across a contract.
- IEC 61508 and 61511 training
- Lifecycle training delivered to engineering and operations teams, built around the systems in the room rather than generic worked examples.
Who you get
Mike Ireland BEng(Hons) MSc CEng MIET
- TÜV SÜD Functional Safety Certified Professional, IEC 61508 and IEC 61511
- TÜV SÜD Functional Safety Expert (FSCP Level 3): assessment under way
- Independently verified competency register (Method): Master in SIS design, application programming, safety requirements, SIL verification and FSA stages 2, 3 and 5: verify.1outof2.co.uk
- Member, BSI committee GEL/65/1 (Systems aspects), the UK mirror of IEC TC65/SC65A, responsible for IEC 61508 and IEC 61511
- Member, IEC 61511 Application Programming Team
- HIMA SILworX and ELOP II certified engineer
- Chartered Engineer, Member of the IET
- Hazard Study for Leaders (Method Process Safety, 2024): four-day IChemE-approved course, 32 CPD hours; study participation as functional safety engineer
- Twelve years in functional safety, after a career in control and instrumentation
- Director of 1oo2 Limited: you deal with the engineer, not an account manager
Chartered EngineerEngineering Council reg. 669116 · Verify ↗
BSI Standards MakerMember, GEL/65/1 (IEC 61508 & 61511)
TÜV SÜD FS ProfessionalIEC 61508 · ID TA26015493 · Verify ↗
TÜV SÜD FS ProfessionalIEC 61511 · ID TP17051306 · Verify ↗
To verify: search RegCheck by name (Michael Ireland) and registration number, no date of birth needed; search the TÜV SÜD register by surname or certificate ID.
Sectors
Nuclear, civil and defence. Oil and gas. Chemicals and process. Marine defence.
Defence work has included nuclear-defence and marine programmes. Current clearance status on request.
Work is UK-wide, run from Stockport.
Insights
Systematic Capability: The Third Leg of a SIL Claim. A SIL claim has three legs. The third isn’t always proven. (29 October 2026)
Get in touch
Emailmike.ireland@1outof2.co.uk
Phone07514 297912
LinkedInlinkedin.1outof2.co.uk
CVOn request
InsuranceProfessional indemnity and public liability insurance held; certificates on request