Using STPA in an ISO 26262 Compliant Process

ISO 26262 is the de facto standard for automotive functional safety, and every automotive Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM), as well as their major suppliers, are striving to ensure that their development processes are ISO 26262 compliant. ISO 26262 mandates both hazard analysis and risk assessment. Systems Theoretic Process Analysis (STPA) is a relatively new hazard analysis technique, that promises to overcome some limitations of traditional hazard analysis techniques. In this paper, we analyze how STPA can be used in an ISO 26262 compliant process. We also provide an excerpt of our application of STPA on an automotive subsystem as per the concept phase of ISO 26262.