The following are the four aspects of safety-critical software:
Damage to hardware or equipment;
Damage to the business or enterprise;
Damage to the environment;
Damage (harm) to people;
Safety-critical software includes software that can contribute to, reduce the effect of, or recover from the occurrence of one or more of those aspects.
All software is subjected to applicable quality system activities. Safety-critical software requires the application of more extensive quality measures. Large projects will benefit from a separate software safety plan that specifically defines the appropriate quality measures.