During which stage would safety verification be mainly conducted?

Safety verification is primarily conducted during the development stage of a system's lifecycle. At this point, the system's design and components are being created and tested, allowing for the identification and rectification of any safety issues before they progress to production.

During the development stage, various safety analyses, simulations, and testing methods are employed to ensure that the system meets safety requirements and standards. This proactive approach is essential, as it provides an opportunity to address potential safety concerns early in the development process, thus significantly reducing risks later on.

In comparison to the other stages, such as the conceptual stage, where safety considerations are more about identifying potential issues rather than verifying them; the retirement stage, which focuses on decommissioning and not on verification; or the production stage, where the focus shifts more towards quality assurance and product fulfillment rather than safety verification, it becomes clear that the development stage is where rigorous safety verification activities are most effectively carried out.