"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 is the famous Live Online or In Person TUV FS Engineer certification course. Learn all there is to know, take the exam and get certified online.
Overview
IEC 61511 Certification Training – Live Online & In-Person
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. Join an intensive multi-day live program (Live Online or In-Person) with case studies, exercises, and an integrated certification exam.
Prefer to study at your own pace? There is also a self-study eLearning edition of this course: IEC 61511 Certification Training – Self-Study.
Dates & Delivery Options
This IEC 61511 program runs as an intensive Live Online or In-Person training on fixed dates. Each edition follows the same structure and prepares you for the same exams and certificates.
| Dates | Modality | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 2-5 February 2026 | In-Person | The Netherlands |
The primary exam session is typically scheduled on the final course day or immediately after. If you cannot attend the planned exam, contact Risknowlogy to discuss rescheduling options.
Why Functional Safety Professionals Choose This IEC 61511 Course
- 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.
- Work through live case studies, group exercises, and exam-style questions with an expert trainer.
- Prepare directly for FS Specialist, FS Engineer (TÜV), and FS Professional (TÜV) — in one integrated live 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 participate fully in the live sessions and complete the exam.
If IEC 61511 appears in your contracts, audits, or plant standards, this program is designed for you.
How the Live Training Works
Multi-day live training, plus an integrated exam.
- Live Online: Instructor-led sessions via Teams/Zoom with real-time Q&A, polls, and group work.
- In-Person: Classroom-style training with workshops, discussion, and hands-on case exercises.
- Structured agenda: Each day covers specific IEC 61511 topics, from fundamentals and lifecycle to hardware, PFD, and operation.
- Exercises & examples: Worked examples and case studies showing real SIS and SIF challenges in the process industry.
- Exam preparation: Exam-style questions and review throughout the course so you know what to expect.
- Exam: The primary exam session is planned on the final course day or immediately after (details provided in your joining instructions).
After the course you keep access to the digital training materials and selected resources, so you can revisit key topics when preparing for audits, projects, or certification upgrades.
Prefer a flexible, study-when-you-want format? The same program is also available as a self-study eLearning course .
Choose Your Certification Path
| Option | Description |
|---|---|
| Training Only |
Attend the IEC 61511 live course (Live Online or In-Person) and participate in all exercises and discussions. Ideal if your organisation manages certification internally or you are not yet ready to take the exam. |
| Add Exam + FS Specialist Certificate |
Includes the exam session linked to your training 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 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?
For the live editions, the primary exam session is planned on the final course day or immediately after the training. Details are provided in your joining instructions.
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 for this program. 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.
Do I get access to course materials after the training?
Yes. You receive access to the digital training materials and selected resources so you can revisit key topics when preparing for audits, projects, or certification upgrades.
Is there a self-study version of this course?
Yes. If you prefer to study independently and fit the learning around your schedule, you can enroll in the IEC 61511 Certification Training – Self-Study edition: Self-Study Version.
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 IEC 61511 through documented experience, case studies, and assessment.
Video
Contents
Preparation
- Welcome
- How To Take This Course
- Certification
The Exam
- Instructions
- Final Exam
