[MaxBarraclough]

That doesn't sound right. Most applications of electronic engineering are not safety-critical, unless we count requirements such as avoiding improper use of toxic chemicals, but setting the bar that low would mean just about any physical undertaking counts as safety-critical.

Projects like the Linux kernel, or the HotSpot and LLVM compiler systems, presumably count as engineering. Building a new GPU presumably counts as engineering. These systems aren't intended for safety-critical use, though.

Another example: it still counts as aeronautical engineering even if you're building an unmanned drone that only ever flies in a lab.