This report presents the results of a study that reviewed the use of safety cases in six safety-critical industries, as well as the emerging use of safety cases in healthcare.

The core of a safety case is typically a risk-based argument and corresponding evidence to demonstrate that:

• All risks associated with a particular system have been identified
• Appropriate risk controls have been put in place
• There are appropriate processes in place to monitor the effectiveness of the risk controls and the safety performance of the system on an ongoing basis

The purpose of a safety case is to provide a structured argument, supported by a body of evidence, that provides a compelling, comprehensible and valid case that a system is acceptably safe for a given application in a given context.