What is independent safety assurance (ISA)?

An introduction to independent safety assessment otherwise known as ISA. Independent safety assessment is the formation of a judgement, separate and independent from any system design, development or operational personnel, that the safety requirements for the system are appropriate and adequate for the planned application and that the system satisfies those safety requirements.

A person who carries out independent safety assessment is known as an independent safety assessor or ISA.

Note: In some industry sectors the term ‘Functional Safety Assessor’ is used for ‘Safety Assessor’. Independent safety assessment is the formation of a judgement, separate and independent from any system design, development or operational personnel, that the safety requirements for the system are appropriate and adequate for the planned application and that the system satisfies those safety requirements.

In discharging this responsibility, the key tasks for the function are:

• Acquiring an appreciation of the scope and context of the assessment
• Selecting and planning a cost-effective assessment strategy
• Gathering relevant evidence
• Forming a judgement including managing any outcomes.