This document specifies requirements for the safety liabilities of countries undertaking space activities or allowing operators to perform space activities on or from their territory under outer-space treaties adopted by the United Nations. It defines the safety responsibilities for the operators involved in commercial or non-commercial space launch activities. This document establishes the overall safety requirements to be observed on a launch site for prelaunch (integration, test, checking, preparation, etc.) and launch operations of a space object. It provides the basic principles to enable any operator to implement its own safety methods, tools and procedures to ensure the safety of people and personnel, public and private property, and the environment, in a consistent and uniform manner.

The safety requirements for system safety are defined in ISO 14620-1, and the requirements for the flight safety systems in ISO 14620-3.