"Surya, thanks for your questions. I checked with some friends who manage our Fisher brand of valves & instruments. They shared back, "Table 5 of IEC61508-1 (2010) provides guidelines for the minimum levels of independence of those carrying out a functional safety assessment (applying to overall safety lifecycle phases 9 and 10, including all phases of E/E/PE system and software safety lifecycles). Please closely evaluate 8.2.16 and Notes 1, 2, and 3, as well as 8.2.15, 8.2.18 of IEC61508-1 to help determine whether your organization is capable of conducting an independent assessment. If you still have questions, please consult a third party safety consultant who will be able to advise based on the details of your specific organization and application."" - Jim Cahill