Method and apparatus for automated hazard detection

An apparatus for automated hazard detection for a technical system, comprising:

• a mapping module for mapping failure modes to hazards by at least one of providing a mapping table defining which failure modes cause which hazards and defining output failure modes of respective component fault tree elements in a form of hazards;
• a selection module for selecting an output failure mode of a component of a component fault tree of the technical system as a top level hazard;
• a generation module for generating a hazard information tree by means of a subtree of the component fault tree, wherein:
• the subtree is selected by means of the top level hazard, and
• the subtree is modified by removing predefined nodes from the subtree and by enhancing output failure modes of the subtree with information from which component the output failure modes originate, wherein the removing further includes removing the component fault tree elements resulting in a simplified failure propagation logic with the previously defined top level hazard as the top event of a partial fault tree;
• the modified subtree is saved in a memory unit as hazard information tree;
• an evaluation module for evaluating the hazard information tree;
• a providing module for providing a control signal comprising a result of the evaluation.