ANALYSIS TYPE / 02
System Boundary · Function Allocation · Interface Documentation
Overview
Item definition establishes the system boundary, operational design domain, functions, and interfaces of the safety-relevant item. It is the foundational input for HARA and all subsequent safety planning — and must be complete before risk assessment can begin. A rigorous item definition prevents scope creep during HARA, ensures all safety-relevant functions are captured, and provides the documented interface assumptions that downstream system and software safety activities depend on.
Industries Served
Standards
Key Aspects
Establishing what is inside and outside the item — including hardware, software, sensors, actuators, and human interaction points.
Listing all functions the item performs, including primary safety-relevant functions and secondary operational functions.
Documenting all electrical, mechanical, and logical interfaces between the item and its environment, including assumed system-level constraints.
Defining the environmental conditions, operational modes, and use cases within which the item is required to function safely.
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