Software in Safety Critical Systems: Achievement and Prediction

Software is the primary determinant of function in many modern engineered systems, from domestic goods such as washing machines through mass-market products such as cars to civil aircraft and nuclear power plant. In a growing number of cases the software is safety critical or safety related, i.e. failure or malfunction could give rise to, or contribute to, a fatal accident. In general, where software is a key element of a safety critical system it is developed in accordance with a set of guidelines or standards produced by the industry, or imposed by a regulator.