EN 13849-1 - Safety of machinery - Safety-related parts of control systems, Part 1: General principles for design
EN ISO 13849-1 is a type B1 standard that defines general principles for the design and integration of parts of control systems (hardware and software) that perform safety functions, known as SRP/CS - Safety-Related Parts of Control Systems.
Aim
To provide a method based on risk analysis to:
- identify the necessary security functions;
- determine the required Performance Level (PL) based on the estimated risk (severity, frequency, possibility of avoiding the event);
- defining system architectures capable of ensuring reliability and diagnostics.
Scope of Application
Applies to all safety controls, regardless of technology (electrical, mechanical, pneumatic, software), for machines requiring safety functions with medium or continuous demand.
Main contents
- Performance Level (PL) concept: PL a (minimum) to PL e (maximum), assessed by probability of dangerous failure over time (hours).
- Introduction of Category B, 1, 2, 3 and 4 architectures, with different levels of redundancy, diagnostics and coverage.
- Use of a decision diagram (Annex A) to evaluate PL according to risk.
- Requirements to prevent Common Cause Failures (CCF) risks and corrective actions.
Note:
The updated version of 2023 integrates software management, convergence with IEC 62061 and enhancements on diagnostics and functional modes. In practice, it is an essential standard in the risk assessment process defined by EN 12100.
Used in conjunction with Type C standards (e.g. EN 12453, EN 16005), it ensures that the safety functions of the control system meet the specific requirements of the machine, which is indispensable for designing reliable systems with protection levels that meet regulatory demands.