Workshop — SIL Verification and Calculation

Learn to perform, document, and defend SIL verifications step by step — according to IEC 61511.

SIL verification is more than a PFD calculation. This workshop teaches you every verification activity the standard requires — from the Safety Requirements Specification through hardware, architecture, application software, basic safety, and validation testing. ~15 hours. Hands-on exercises throughout. Earn your FS Specialist certificate.

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Live Online or In-Person · ~15 hours · 11 sections · 9 practical exercises · Exam within 4 weeks

Upcoming Sessions

All sessions include the full workshop and optional Specialist certificate exam. Contact us to register or to enquire about a corporate session at your site.

Dates	Format	Location	Instructor	Status
To be announced	Live Online	Zoom — open to all	Dr. Michel Houtermans	Contact us
To be announced	In-Person	To be announced	Dr. Michel Houtermans	Contact us

Need a session at your company's site? Contact us on WhatsApp to discuss a corporate class.

What You Will Be Able to Do

Explain the difference between SIL verification and SIL calculation — and why the distinction matters for your documentation and your clients.
Verify a Safety Instrumented Function using the S.L.A.T.S. concept — the essential starting point for any valid SIL verification.
Verify a Safety Requirements Specification — check that requirements are complete, SMART, and auditable before design begins.
Verify SIL-compliant hardware — navigate the three compliance routes, read certificates correctly, and apply prior use and proven-in-use claims.
Verify hardware architectures — assess architectural constraints against all three IEC 61511 compliance options.
Perform and review PFDavg and PFH calculations in 6 steps — using simplified equations and knowing when they are not sufficient.
Verify application software and parametrisation — apply software verification requirements from IEC 61511 to real SIS programs.
Verify basic safety and user documentation — confirm that safety manuals and SIF/SIS manuals meet standard requirements.
Verify validation testing — review FAT, iFAT, and SAT reports against the validation objectives defined in IEC 61511.
Document verification work correctly — produce outputs that satisfy clients, assessors, and certification bodies.

Certificates You Can Earn

Pass the exam to earn your certificates. Higher scores unlock higher recognition.

Risknowlogy Knowledge Certificates

Internationally recognised knowledge certificates, linked to your personal Safety Passport®.

Risknowlogy FS Specialist Certificate — IEC 61511 — FS Specialist — Prove your SIL verification knowledge.

Professional, Expert, and Master SIL Verifier Certificates

Ready to certify practical experience? Add role certification based on documented SIL verification work.

Professional SIL Verifier — certify your applied SIL verification experience in real projects.
Expert SIL Verifier — demonstrate deep, repeated expertise across complex verification assignments.
Master SIL Verifier — the highest Risknowlogy recognition, based on 3,000+ hours, case studies, and interview.

Certification level is determined by documented hours of SIL verification experience. Checklists and report templates are provided as part of this workshop — free of charge — to support your higher-level certification submission.

Your Instructor

Dr. Michel Houtermans

Founder, Lead Instructor & Functional Safety Master — Risknowlogy

Functional safety expert since 1994 — over 30 years of practical experience in IEC 61511 and IEC 61508 projects.
Has performed and overseen more than 1,000 SIF certifications and verifications across global projects.
Co-invented the TÜV FS Engineer certification program in 1998 while working for TÜV.
Author of 2 functional safety books.
Known for making SIL verification practical, structured, and defensible — not just a calculation exercise.

Michel's verification experience is reflected directly in this workshop — every exercise and checklist is built from real SIF verification work.

What Students Say

"Very good information about the verification activities. Material was good and the trainer excellent."

Juha O. — Finland

"The course material was very well designed, practical and valuable. I really enjoyed and learned a lot from it."

Abulaziz A.A. — Oman

"Interesting details on why SIL has been achieved. The SIL calculations and the checklist did the trick."

François Pino — Belgium

"A very good course for SIS engineers. It taught me practically how to verify the SIL for a SIS. Excellent instructor."

Jürgen Schmidt — Germany

"The course content is so related to my core business and the checklists are very useful. I would recommend this to all my colleagues."

Anonymous — Sweden

Who This Workshop Is For

Professionals responsible for SIL verification activities in IEC 61511 projects:

Functional Safety engineers who perform or review SIL verification as part of their project role.
SIS engineers and SIF designers who need to produce verification-ready documentation.
Safety assessors and auditors who review SIL verification outputs from suppliers or integrators.
EPC and system integrator teams delivering SIS for process industry end users.
Certification body staff who assess SIL compliance of products, subsystems, and safety solutions.

Requirements

Knowledge of functional safety and IEC 61511 — this workshop builds on foundational concepts, not from zero.
Familiarity with Safety Instrumented Functions and SIS design is expected.
Time to complete the exercises during the workshop.

This is a workshop — you will do real work. Come prepared to apply what you learn, not just listen.

How the Workshop Works

Live instructor-led workshop — available as Live Online or In-Person.

~15 hours of focused expert-led instruction and exercises.
11 sections covering the full IEC 61511 verification scope — from SIF definition through validation testing.
9 practical exercises — apply each verification method immediately after it is taught.
1 video case study showing real SIF verification in context.
PDF manual with space for notes — yours to keep.
Checklists and report templates — free of charge, ready to use on your projects and for higher-level certification submissions.
Exam within 4 weeks of completing the workshop — open book, taken online.

Workshop Sections

Introduction — safe processes, layers of protection, SIS and SIF fundamentals
Introducing SIL verification — lifecycle, verification vs assessment vs certification
Verifying the Safety Instrumented Function — the S.L.A.T.S. concept
Verifying the Safety Requirements Specification — SMART requirements, cause and effect diagrams
Verifying the hardware — three compliance routes, reading certificates, prior use
Verifying the architecture — architectural constraints, all three IEC 61511 options
Performing or reviewing PFDavg and PFH calculations — 6-step method
Verifying the application program — software requirements, parametrisation, modifications
Basic safety and user documentation — safety manuals, SIF/SIS manuals
Validation — FAT, iFAT, SAT verification
Exam — for participants applying for knowledge certification

Choose Your Option

Option	What is included
Training Only	Full workshop access — all 11 sections, 9 exercises, 1 case study, PDF manual, and checklists. No exam.
Training + FS Specialist Certificate	Workshop + exam within 4 weeks. Earn FS Specialist (≥60%) or FS Specialist with Distinction (≥85%). One free retake included. Achievement recorded in your Safety Passport®.
Add Professional / Expert / Master SIL Verifier	Add role certification based on documented SIL verification hours and experience. Includes 2 case study submissions using provided templates, 2 references, and an interview. Contact us on WhatsApp for combo pricing.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why should I train in SIL verification?

IEC 61511 requires that anyone involved in safety lifecycle activities is competent in the activities for which they are accountable. This workshop — and the associated certification — gives you structured, documented proof of that competence for clients, peers, and management.

Does the certificate expire?

No. Risknowlogy knowledge certificates do not expire. Role certificates (Professional, Expert, Master SIL Verifier) expire after 5 years.

When can I take the exam?

Within 4 weeks of completing the workshop. The exam is open-book and taken online at your convenience.

What if I fail the exam?

One retake is free of charge. Contact Risknowlogy and a new exam access window will be arranged.

Will I get a Safety Passport®?

Yes. Every participant who passes a Risknowlogy exam receives a personal, online Safety Passport® documenting their achievement and level.

What is the S.L.A.T.S. concept?

S.L.A.T.S. is a structured method for defining and verifying a Safety Instrumented Function — the essential starting information for any valid SIL verification. Without it, SIL verification cannot be performed correctly. The concept is taught in detail during the workshop.

What is included in the higher-level SIL Verifier certification?

The Professional, Expert, and Master SIL Verifier certificates are role certificates based on your documented experience. You submit 2 case studies using the provided templates, 2 references, and attend a short interview. The certification level depends on your proven hours of SIL verification work. Contact us for details and combo pricing.

Is a verification successful when the safety function is not SIL-compliant?

Yes — a verification is a structured assessment of compliance, not a guarantee of it. A finding of non-compliance is a valid and valuable verification result. The workshop covers this distinction in detail.

Ready to Get Certified?

Questions about dates, formats, or corporate sessions? Talk to us directly — we respond fast.

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Workshop SIL Verification and Calculation

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