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Prerequisites

Before you begin:

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Open the HARA Risksheet

  1. Navigate to Risks space in the sidebar
  2. Open your HARA document (e.g., “HAZID - AEB System”)
  3. Click Edit to enter risksheet editing mode
  4. Switch to the Hazard Identification view using the view dropdown
The HARA risksheet provides 4 stage-specific views to guide you through the process. Start with Situation Analysis, then move to Hazard Identification, HARA Classification, and finally Safety Goals.

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Define the Operational Context

Before identifying specific hazards, establish the operational context:
  1. Add a System Element row (Level 1):
    • Click ➕ Add Row
    • Select the system element work item being analyzed (e.g., “AEB System”)
    • The risksheet uses this as the top-level grouping
  2. Add a Hazard Category row (Level 2):
    • Click ➕ Add Row under the system element
    • Select category from the enum (e.g., “Functional Failure”, “Sensor Malfunction”)
    • This groups related hazards by type
  3. Add an Operational Phase row (Level 3):
    • Click ➕ Add Row under the category
    • Select operational phase (e.g., “Highway Driving”, “Urban Traffic”, “Parking”)
    • Each phase represents a distinct driving scenario
diagram

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Identify Specific Hazards

For each operational phase, add hazard work items (Level 4):
  1. Click ➕ Add Row under the operational phase
  2. Fill in the hazard identification columns:
ColumnWhat to EnterExample
Hazard IDUnique identifierHAZ-001
Hazard NameShort hazard title”Failure to detect obstacle”
Operational SituationSpecific driving context”Highway driving at 120 km/h”
Hazard DescriptionDetailed hazard event”AEB system fails to detect stationary vehicle in travel path”
Cause(s)What triggers the hazard”Radar sensor occlusion, camera blinding, SoC processing failure”
Consequence(s)Potential harm outcome”High-speed rear-end collision, severe injury or fatality”
A hazard is a potential source of harm (e.g., “Unintended acceleration during parking”). A harm is the injury outcome (e.g., “Collision with pedestrian”). Focus on the hazardous event itself, not the resulting injury.

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Use Systematic Hazard Discovery Methods

Apply structured techniques to ensure complete hazard identification: Method 1: System Function Analysis
  • For each function, ask “What if this function fails?” (loss of function)
  • Ask “What if this function activates unintentionally?” (unwanted activation)
  • Ask “What if this function performs incorrectly?” (degraded performance)
Method 2: Operational Situation Matrix 
                  Normal    Degraded    Environmental    Edge Case
                Operation   Mode       Stress          Scenario
─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
Highway           HAZ-01     HAZ-05      HAZ-09         HAZ-13
Urban Traffic     HAZ-02     HAZ-06      HAZ-10         HAZ-14
Parking           HAZ-03     HAZ-07      HAZ-11         HAZ-15
Low Speed         HAZ-04     HAZ-08      HAZ-12         HAZ-16
Method 3: HAZOP-Style Guidewords
  • No/None: Complete loss of function (e.g., “No obstacle detection”)
  • More: Excessive function (e.g., “Excessive braking force”)
  • Less: Insufficient function (e.g., “Insufficient braking pressure”)
  • Late: Delayed activation (e.g., “Delayed braking response”)
  • Early: Premature activation (e.g., “False positive braking”)

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Review Against Safety Standards

Ensure your hazard identification covers:
  • All system functions from the functional safety concept
  • All operational situations from the item definition (ISO 26262-3 Clause 5)
  • Environmental conditions (temperature, weather, lighting)
  • Driver interaction scenarios (inattention, misuse, over-reliance)
  • System degradation modes (sensor failures, partial availability)
Reference field data, incident reports, and predecessor system issues when identifying hazards. TestAuto2 includes 18 example hazards for AEB systems based on ISO 26262 case studies.

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Verify Completeness

Check that each hazard has:
  1. Unique hazard ID for traceability
  2. Clear operational situation describing when the hazard occurs
  3. Specific cause(s) explaining what triggers the hazard
  4. Defined consequence(s) stating potential harm outcomes
  5. Linked system element (via Level 1 hierarchy)
You should now see a populated HARA risksheet with hazards organized by system element, category, and operational phase. The Hazard Identification view should display all hazard-specific columns without the ASIL classification columns (those appear in the HARA Classification view).
Once you’ve identified all hazards, proceed to Assess Severity, Exposure, and Controllability to perform ISO 26262 ASIL determination.

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See Also