This course is primarily intended to give system safety engineers an introduction to the issues that must be considered when computers are used in safety-critical or safety-related applications. The course starts with a rapid overview of how computer systems work, from basic hardware components up to application software. The emphasis throughout this introduction is on highlighting areas that are of potential concern to safety engineers. This introduction is followed by a more in-depth examination of the software development process, considering especially aspects of requirements specification, design and analysis that are critical to deployment of computers in safety-critical applications. The course also considers the structuring and collection of evidence for the software safety case.

Course Description

Module aims:

This course is primarily intended to give system safety engineers an introduction to the issues that must be considered when computers are used in safety-critical or safety-related applications. The course starts with a rapid overview of how computer systems work, from basic hardware components up to application software. The emphasis throughout this introduction is on highlighting areas that are of potential concern to safety engineers. This introduction is followed by a more in-depth examination of the software development process, considering especially aspects of requirements specification, design and analysis that are critical to deployment of computers in safety-critical applications. The course also considers the structuring and collection of evidence for the software safety case.

Module learning outcomes:

- Identify and describe the implications of using computers in safety related applications, using this to inform and challenge project decisions.

- Assess the credibility of a proposed design and identify derived software safety requirements on computing elements of the design throughout development.

- Assess the safety properties of computing elements of a system.

- Develop a software safety assurance case for a system.