IEC 61508 is an example of a standard stating requirements to Safety Instrumented Systems (SIS), and this standard is currently becoming the main standard within the SIS industry. The standard sets out a generic approach for all safety lifecycle activities for SIS. IEC 61508 is a generic standard common to several industries, and the process industry has developed its own sector specific standard for application of SIS, called the IEC 61511. Both these standards present a unified approach to achieve a rational and consistent technical policy for all SIS systems.

The Norwegian Oil Industry Association (OLF) has developed a guideline (OLF guideline no. 070) to support the use of IEC 61508 / 61511. In the new regulations from the Norwegian Petroleum Safety Authority, specific references are given to the IEC standards and the OLF guideline. PDS is fully in line with the principles advocated in the IEC standard. The OLF Guideline recommends using the PDS method when quantifying loss of safety.