Safety integrated. how much safety lies within tunnel automation

TL;DR: This paper seeks to provide insight into safety engineering from the perspective of automation and to highlight possibilities of tunnel automation applications.

Abstract: In automation technology, fail-safe control components have been long enforced. Ensuring the safety of human, machine and equipment has led to a wide product range of safety components at any considerable manufacturer of control components. Thereby, functional safety is able to cover a further aspect in addition to the availability of control systems. Compliance with the applicable standards is a prerequisite to realize a secure machine or facility. In tunnel automation, consideration of the availability of the control system has been proven and led to a high standard for automation solutions. Fail-safe control components are able to add to the automation solution, besides availability, also the component of functional safety, and even in the case of error to increase the quality of execution of the control task and, thus, contribute significantly to risk reduction. This paper seeks to provide insight into safety engineering from the perspective of automation and to highlight possibilities of tunnel automation applications.