The continuing increases in electronic complexity, and the continuing shrinking of the feature sizes in silicon integrated circuits, has made the normal testing-based approach to EMC inadequate where safety is concerned. So the new discipline of “EMC for Functional Safety” has had to be developed to help maintain tolerable levels of safety risks.

The Guide comprehensively describes practical and cost-effective procedures for both management and engineering, to help to save lives and reduce injuries, wherever electronic technologies are used in safety-implicated products, systems or installations of any type.

The attached figure shows the nine basic steps employed by the Guide, which also includes checklists to aid project management, design and compliance assessment.

Manufacturers who apply this Guide should benefit from lower financial risks, because improved immunity to EMI should significantly reduce the number of warranty returns/repairs and product liability lawsuits. And because the Guide's procedures require the use of EMC expertise from project start, instead of the usual approach (design/assemble with little attention to EMC, then fiddle around until the EMC tests are passed) this will also help manufacturers get to market more quickly with lower overall manufacturing costs. So, real financial savings can generally be expected when this Guide is correctly applied.