"This course has accelerated my development in the world of functional safety and has been a great aide in my day-to-day work. It could do the same for my colleagues." – Ashley James, United Kingdom
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Description
This it the famous FS Engineer certification course. Learn all there is to know, take the exam and get certified online.
Overview
IEC 61511 Certification Training – Functional Safety and SIL for SIFs
Become a certified FS Specialist, FS Engineer, or FS Professional for Safety Instrumented Systems (SIS) in the process industry.
Turn IEC 61511 into safe, SIL-compliant Safety Instrumented Functions. Learn at your own pace with 50+ video lessons, case studies, and interim exam questions — then pass the online exam and secure your certificates.
Access: Lifetime access to all course materials. Exam: Complete your online exam within 12 weeks after you receive access.
Study at Your Own Pace – 100% Online Self-Study
This IEC 61511 program is delivered as a self-paced eLearning course with live Q&A sessions. You can enroll today and start immediately.
The exam is also taken online on the Risknowlogy platform — at your convenience, before your course end date.
Why Functional Safety Professionals Choose This IEC 61511 Course
- This is the first and oldest course in the history of TUV certiication courses. Lots of experience in this trainign program.
- Focus completely on Safety Instrumented Systems (SIS) and Safety Instrumented Functions (SIFs) in the process industry.
- Learn exactly what IEC 61511 requires for SIL-compliant SIFs — from HAZOP/LOPA through design, PFD calculations, and operation.
- Turn theory into practice with case studies, interim questions, and action points for each lesson.
- Prepare directly for FS Specialist, FS Engineer (TÜV), and FS Professional (TÜV) — in one integrated self-study program.
- Learn with a trainer who has certified hundreds of SIS, subsystems, and devices and supported end users, EPCs, and integrators worldwide.
What You’ll Be Able to Do
- Explain functional safety according to IEC 61511 and how it differs from and relates to IEC 61508.
- Apply the functional safety lifecycle to SIS: from hazard analysis and SIF specification to operation, maintenance, and modification.
- Use Functional Safety Management (FSM) concepts such as lifecycle planning, competence, verification, validation, assessment, audits, and documentation.
- Understand how end users use HAZOP and LOPA to identify SIFs and determine required SIL and Risk Reduction Factors.
- Develop and review Safety Requirements Specifications (SRS) for SIS and SIFs, including all key content required by IEC 61511.
- Apply hardware concepts such as Type A/B, voting, redundancy, hardware fault tolerance (HFT), safe failure fraction (SFF), and architectural constraints.
- Differentiate diagnostic tests and proof tests, select test intervals, and understand their impact on PFD and availability.
- Perform and interpret PFD calculations using simplified equations and basic reliability modelling to support SIL verification.
- Handle application program requirements (FVL, LVL, FPL), V-model testing, and software systematic capability.
- Assess certificates, prior use and proven-in-use claims for devices, subsystems, and SIS solutions.
- Plan for operation, maintenance, repair, modification, and bypass of SIFs without losing SIL compliance.
- Confidently sit the FS Specialist and TÜV exams and start your pathway to Professional, Expert and Master certification.
Who This Course Is For
Professionals in the process industry who work with or around Safety Instrumented Systems, including:
- SIS and SIF engineers responsible for design and implementation of safety instrumented systems.
- Process, control, and automation engineers involved in HAZOP, LOPA, and protection layer design.
- Functional Safety engineers and managers who must demonstrate IEC 61511 compliance to clients, regulators, and auditors.
- EPC and system integrator teams designing and delivering SIS for oil & gas, chemicals, petrochemicals, and related sectors.
- End user engineers and operators who operate, maintain, and modify existing SIS and SIFs.
- Consultants, assessors, and certifiers who need a solid, practical understanding of IEC 61511 requirements.
Requirements & Recommended Background
- Bring an open mind and willingness to learn.
- ~6 years of experience in the process industry is recommended for certification titles.
- Basic knowledge of functional safety and SIFs is helpful but not required — the course starts from fundamentals.
- Time reserved to study for and complete the final exam.
If IEC 61511 appears in your contracts, audits, or plant standards, this program is designed for you.
How the Self-Study Training Works
Self-paced eLearning, structured like a live course — with exam and consultancy options.
- Self-Study eLearning: 8 sections, 50+ lessons you can follow at your own pace.
- Videos & transcripts: Concise lessons with full transcripts and downloadable PDFs for note taking.
- Case studies: Video case studies that show real SIS and SIF issues in the process industry.
- Live Q&A sessions: Regular online sessions with the trainer for questions and discussion.
- Community: Valuable discussions with your trainer and peers.
- Action points: Each lesson ends with clear action points you can apply at work.
- Interim questions: Questions throughout the course that count towards your final exam score.
- Final exam: Online exam for those who opt for knowledge certification. , to be completed within 12 weeks after you receive access.
You keep access to the training materials and can revisit key topics when preparing for projects, audits, or certification upgrades.
Choose Your Certification Path
| Option | Description |
|---|---|
| Training Only |
Full access to the IEC 61511 eLearning course, including all lessons, case studies, and interim questions. Ideal if your organisation manages certification internally or you are not yet ready to take the exam. |
| Add Exam + FS Specialist Certificate |
Includes the online exam and recognised Functional Safety IEC 61511 Specialist knowledge certificates:
Your achievement is recorded in your personal Safety Passport®. |
| Add TÜV FS Engineer / FS Professional |
For professionals who require a TÜV SÜD stamp on their CV:
The TÜV certificates are ordered separately and can be added at any time after you pass the exam. |
| Upgrade to FS Professional, Expert, or Master |
Turn knowledge into recognised field experience in IEC 61511:
This upgrade involves case study submissions, references, and an interview. Combo deals are available when you enroll in the course — contact us for details. |
Knowledge and Field Certificates
IEC 61511 FS Specialist Certificates
Complete the training and online exam to earn your FS Specialist or FS Specialist with Distinction certificate in IEC 61511 functional safety for Safety Instrumented Systems. Your certificate is recognised worldwide and linked to your Safety Passport®.
TÜV SÜD Functional Safety Certificates
For many roles, a TÜV stamp is a formal requirement. This course prepares you for and can be combined with:
FS Professional, Expert, and Master Field Certificates
Ready to certify real-world competence? Add field certification in IEC 61511 functional safety:
- FS Professional (IEC 61511) – turn knowledge into documented project results.
- FS Expert – demonstrate deep and repeated excellence across multiple SIS projects.
- FS Master – the highest Risknowlogy recognition, based on extensive hours, case studies, and interview.
Meet Your Instructor
Dr. Michel Houtermans — Founder, Lead Instructor & Functional Safety Master at Risknowlogy.
- 25+ years of experience in functional safety across oil & gas, chemicals, energy, and manufacturing.
- Deep expertise in IEC 61511 and IEC 61508, SIS lifecycle implementation, and Functional Safety Management.
- Has consulted and certified 50+ companies, 100+ safety products, 150+ subsystems, and 400+ safety solutions worldwide.
- Has trained and certified thousands of professionals at end users, EPCs, system integrators, governments, and certification bodies.
- Known for turning dense standards into clear, usable methods that engineers and managers can apply on real SIFs and projects.
Michel brings real SIS and SIF examples from projects, assessments, and audits — so you see how IEC 61511 is applied in practice, not just on paper.
What do current students say about this course?
"It was a very educational course and I hope to really enjoy the benefits of this in the future. The trainer was very competent and knows what he is talking about. Every colleague should follow this course, if only it was to understand FSM better." – M. de Kok, Rütgers Resins, Netherlands
"Trainer clearly explained the SIL concepts as they apply to SIS and I feel that I learned something really valuable for my job and career." – R. Saravannan, Petronash, UAE
"While working in oil & gas EPC industry, we come across the requirement of functional safety in all projects and proposals. Implementing functional safety has a cost. If it is not estimated correctly during the proposal stage, it may have serious financial implications during execution. So every engineer working in our industry should have training in functional safety.
Thank you for the great training! I learnt a lot from it and hope that it will help me perform better in my profession." – Rajadwid Goon, Petrofac, Sharjah
"Amazing training. Gained a lot of knowledge on how to deal with functional safety." – G. de Deckere, Dow Benelux, Netherlands
FAQs
Does the certificate expire?
No. Risknowlogy training certificates are knowledge certificates, and knowledge certificates do not expire.
How is the final exam conducted?
The exam is online. You log in to the Risknowlogy platform and take the exam there. You can attend the exam at your convenience — there is no need to schedule a specific date and time. You just need to complete the final exam within 12 weeks after you receive access.
Will I get a personal Safety Passport®?
Yes. Everybody who follows a Risknowlogy training and takes an exam gets a personal, online Safety Passport® entry documenting their achievement and level.
What if I fail the exam?
One retake exams is free of charge. Contact Risknowlogy and a new exam date or access window will be scheduled with you.
Is the TÜV certificate included?
It depends on the promotion or package you enrolled with. If your promotion does not include the TÜV certificate, you can always order it separately after you pass the exam.
Will I be listed on the TÜV SÜD website?
If the TÜV certificate is included in your package (or you order it separately), TÜV will list you on their website once you return the required forms and have passed the exam.
What’s the difference between Self-Study, Live Online, and In-Person?
Risknowlogy offers all three learning modes across its portfolio.
Self-Study: Learn anytime at your own pace on the Risknowlogy platform. Includes access to interim questions and, where available, live Q&A sessions.
Live Online: Instructor-led sessions via Teams/Zoom with real-time Q&A and group discussions.
In-Person: On-site training with maximum interaction, workshops, and case discussions. These are often offered as corporate or public classes.
How long do I have access?
You keep access to the core training materials. The exam must be completed within 12 weeks after enrollment (as shown in your learner dashboard). If you need more time, contact Risknowlogy to discuss options.
Is there a higher level of certification?
Yes. Beyond FS Specialist and TÜV certificates, you can progress to FS Professional, FS Expert, and FS Master in Safety Instrumented Systems through documented experience, case studies, and assessment.
Video
Contents
Preparation
- Welcome
- How To Take This Course
- Certification
Part 1 - Introduction to Functional Safety
- Lesson 1 - Getting Started
- Lesson 2 - Why Functional Safety Is Needed
- Lesson 3 - Layers of Protection Analysis and SIS
- Lesson 4 - Safety Integrity Level
- Lesson 5 - What Is Functional Safety?
- Part 1 - Recap
- Part 1 - Test Your Knowledge
Part 2 - Functional Safety Management
- Lesson 6 - FSM Part 1
- Lesson 7 - FSM Part 2
- Lesson 8 - FSM Part 3
- Lesson 9 - FSM Part 4
- Lesson 10 - FSM Part 5
- Lesson 11 - Piper Alpha Accident
- Part 2 - Recap
- Part 2 - Test Your Knowledge
Part 3 - Hazard and Risk Analysis
- Lesson 12 - Introducing HRA
- Lesson 13 - Hazard Identification
- Lesson 14 - HAZID
- Lesson 15 - FMEA
- Lesson 16 - FTA
- Lesson 17 - BP Texas
- Lesson 18 - HAZOP
- Lesson 19 - Hazard Analysis
- Lesson 20 - FMEA and Risk Matrix
- Lesson 21 - Risk Graph
- Lesson 22 - FTA and Hazard Analysis
- Lesson 23 - ETA
- Lesson 24 - Risk Reduction
- Lesson 25 - FMEA and Risk Reduction
- Lesson 26 - HAZOP and Risk Reduction
- Lesson 27 - FTA and Risk Reduction
- Lesson 28 - LOPA
- Lesson 29 - Security Risk
- Lesson 30 - SRS
- Lesson 31 - Final Words
- Part 3 - Recap
- Part 3 - Test Your Knowledge
Part 4 - Planning The SIS
- Lesson 32 - Planning
- Lesson 33 - Four Documents
- Part 4 - Recap
- Part 4 - Test Your Knowledge
Part 5 - Hardware Design
- Lesson 34 - Where Are We?
- Lesson 35 - HW Concepts on SIF level
- Lesson 36 - HW on Subsystem Level - Part 1
- Lesson 37 - HW on Subsystem Level - Part 2
- Lesson 38 - HW on Subsystem Level - Part 3
- Lesson 39 - HW on Subsystem Level - Part 4
- Lesson 40 - Failure Simulation
- Part 5 - Recap
- Part 5 - Test Your Knowledge
Part 6 - Hardware Reliability
- Lesson 41 - Six Steps To Perform A PFD Calculation
- Lesson 42 - PFD
- Lesson 43 - ASCO
- Part 6 - Recap
- Part 6 - Test Your Knowledge
Part 7 - Software Design
- Lesson 44 - Where Are We?
- Lesson 45 - Software Is A Different Animal
- Lesson 46 - Safe Software
- Part 7 - Recap
- Part 7 - Test Your Knowledge
Part 8 - Certification, Prior Use, Proven in Use, Data
- Lesson 47 - Certification
- Lesson 48 - Prior Use, Proven in Use
- Lesson 49 - Data
- Part 8 - Recap
- Part 8 - Test Your Knowledge
Part 9 - Using the SIS
- Lesson 50 - Using the SIS
- Part 9 - Recap
- Part 9 - Test Your Knowledge
The End
- Thank You
The Exam
- Instructions
- Final Exam
Q&A
- Session DATE
Top Courses
Functional Safety and SIL for Safety Instrumented Systems - IEC 61511
Available Course Modes
Training Only
€399.00
Add Exam + Specialist Certificate
€1,150.00
Add TUV Certificate
€1,950.00
Add Professional, Expert of Master in FS Certificate
€2,950.00
Certificate Available
30:00
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