Planning for Safety Standards Compliance: A Model-Based Tool-Supported Approach

Safety-critical software-dependent systems such as those found in the avionics, automotive, maritime, and energy domains often require certification based on one or more safety standards. To demonstrate compliance with software safety standards, such as IEC 61508, suppliers must collect evidence that the certifiers can use. Without an upfront agreement between the system supplier and the certifier about the necessary evidence to collect, omissions invariably occur and must be remedied after the fact and at significant costs. The authors present a flexible approach and a supporting tool for assisting suppliers and certifiers in developing an agreement about the evidence necessary to demonstrate compliance to a safety standard. The approach is model-based-specifically, it expresses the safety standard of interest via an information model. The supporting tool, which is available online, takes this information model as input and helps system suppliers and certifiers reach a documented, consistent agreement about the safety evidence to be collected.