ISO 26262-1-2018 PDF

Full title and description

ISO 26262-1:2018 — Road vehicles — Functional safety — Part 1: Vocabulary. Defines the terminology and key definitions used throughout the ISO 26262 series to ensure consistent interpretation of functional-safety concepts for electrical/electronic (E/E) systems in road vehicles.

Abstract

This part of ISO 26262 provides a consolidated vocabulary of terms used across the ISO 26262 functional safety standard. It is intended to be applied to safety-related systems that include one or more electrical and/or electronic (E/E) systems installed in series-production road vehicles (excluding mopeds and certain special-purpose vehicles). The document describes terminology relevant to hazards, malfunctioning behaviour, safety lifecycle activities and ASIL-related concepts to support consistent application of the series.

General information

• Status: Published
• Publication date: 17 December 2018 (Edition 2, 2018-12)
• Publisher: International Organization for Standardization (ISO)
• ICS / categories: 01.040.43, 43.040.10
• Edition / version: Edition 2 (2018)
• Number of pages: 33

Information in this block follows the ISO catalogue entry for ISO 26262-1:2018 (Edition 2).

Scope

ISO 26262-1:2018 establishes the vocabulary used throughout the ISO 26262 family. It applies to safety-related systems that include one or more electrical and/or electronic systems in series-production road vehicles and supports the rest of the ISO 26262 lifecycle by defining consistent terms for hazards, safety goals, safety requirements, malfunctioning behaviour, items, architecture, ASIL, and related concepts. The part does not address non‑E/E hazards (e.g., fire, toxicity) unless they are directly caused by malfunctioning E/E behaviour, nor unique E/E systems in specialized vehicles such as those for drivers with disabilities.

Key topics and requirements

• Comprehensive definitions of functional-safety terminology used across ISO 26262 (e.g., item, system, malfunctioning behaviour, safe state).
• Definitions and clarifications for Automotive Safety Integrity Levels (ASILs) and ASIL-related terminology.
• Terms covering the safety lifecycle: hazard analysis, risk assessment, safety goals, safety requirements and verification/validation activities.
• Vocabulary for E/E-system elements, architecture, safety mechanisms, diagnostic coverage and failure modes.
• Definitions to support consistent interpretation across the ISO 26262 parts (management, concept, system/hardware/software development, supporting processes and guidelines).

Typical use and users

Used by automotive functional-safety engineers, systems and software architects, hardware designers, verification and validation teams, safety managers, process auditors, procurement and compliance personnel, and academic/research organisations working with automotive E/E safety. Part 1 is typically consulted whenever precise, standardized definitions are required for drafting safety requirements, performing hazard and risk analyses, writing safety plans, or demonstrating conformance with other parts of ISO 26262.

Related standards

ISO 26262-1:2018 is the vocabulary part of the ISO 26262 series (parts 1 through 10 — e.g., Part 2 Management of functional safety; Part 3 Concept phase; Part 4 System-level development; Part 5 Hardware; Part 6 Software; Part 7 Production/operation/service/decommissioning; Part 8 Supporting processes; Part 9 ASIL-oriented analyses; Part 10 Guidelines). It should be used together with the other parts of ISO 26262 for full functional-safety implementation.

Keywords

functional safety, ISO 26262, vocabulary, terminology, ASIL, safety lifecycle, hazard analysis, E/E systems, road vehicles, safety goals

FAQ

Q: What is this standard?

A: ISO 26262-1:2018 is Part 1 (Vocabulary) of the ISO 26262 international standard for functional safety of road vehicles; it defines the terms used across the ISO 26262 series to ensure consistent interpretation.

Q: What does it cover?

A: It provides standardized definitions for concepts such as item, malfunctioning behaviour, hazard, safety goal, safety requirements, ASIL and other terms used throughout the ISO 26262 lifecycle. It also clarifies the intended application scope (safety-related E/E systems in series-production road vehicles).

Q: Who typically uses it?

A: Automotive safety engineers, system/software/hardware designers, safety managers, consultants, conformity assessors, and anyone applying or auditing ISO 26262 to ensure consistent terminology and reduce ambiguity in safety artifacts.

Q: Is it current or superseded?

A: ISO 26262-1:2018 is the current published (Edition 2) version from December 2018. The ISO catalogue entry shows the standard as published and under routine review/revision processes (the series is periodically reviewed). For the definitive lifecycle/status information consult the ISO catalogue entry.

Q: Is it part of a series?

A: Yes — it is Part 1 of the ISO 26262 series (Parts 1–10) that together define functional-safety requirements and guidance for road-vehicle E/E systems.

Q: What are the key keywords?

A: Functional safety, vocabulary, ASIL, E/E systems, safety lifecycle, hazard analysis, safety goals, ISO 26262.