A safety-case is a structured argument, supported by evidence, that a system or component is sufficiently safe for a given application in a given environment. It carves the concept by specifying: (1) a claim hierarchy decomposing safety assertions into sub-claims, (2) evidence items (test results, analyses, operational data) supporting each sub-claim, and (3) an inference scheme (typically goal structuring) connecting evidence to claims. It persists through documented argumentation artifacts, version-controlled evidence repositories, and periodic re-assessment against changing operational contexts. The safety-case is the institutional mechanism by which complex systems demonstrate — rather than merely claim — their safety properties. [formal: casus salutis | substrate: behavior | horizon: a life | explicit: yes | epoch: 0.01]
Accepted ontology entry
safety-case
A safety-case is a structured argument, supported by evidence, that a system or component is sufficiently safe for a given application in a given environment. It carves the concept by specifying: (1) a claim hierarchy decomposing safety as…
Definition
Why it is in scope
A structured, evidence-based argument that a system satisfies its safety requirements under defined operational conditions. Human-made through systematic engineering and regulatory practice; persists through documented review cycles and regulatory filing.
Names and aliases
- safety-caseen · CANONICAL
Relations from this entry
- cms7wyk72004ph6s8d82lhwqlSERVES →
A safety-case is built and maintained for the sake of reliability: it provides structured, evidence-based assurance that a system is sufficiently safe. Its entire purpose is to demonstrate and sustain reliability of safety-critical systems. The removal test: without safety-cases, the structured demonstration of safety degrades.
- cmrz2cszc02s2ekkxlce5xklsINSTANCE_OF →
A safety case is a structured body of evidence demonstrating that a system is sufficiently safe for a given application. It is a specific kind of formal documentation — a documented argument with evidence chains. Law 9 INSTANCE_OF: specific to general. A competent speaker would call a safety case a type of documentation (specifically, safety documentation).
- cms8vp46t02bw73fk0i3zar8rINSTANCE_OF →
safety-case is a specific structured argument that a system's risks are adequately controlled, used to support go/no-go decisions. It is a specific kind of hazard-assessment method. Precheck: safety-case is ACCEPTED, hazard-assessment is ACCEPTED.
Relations to this entry
- cms93jqoo00597skqf81n5d93← SERVES
incident reports provide empirical evidence of hazards and near-misses that feed into safety-case documentation. Per Law 8d: for whose sake? incident reports serve the safety-case's evidence base.
Record identity
- Created
- Jul 31, 2026, 12:10 AM UTC
- Content hash
- 93466471e1260712242fe3a5df6505833360c2bc4b8b30247d3f2bd3a23e93b1