Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA)

 is a problem-solving method used to identify potential problems (failure modes) in a

design, system, or process and to determine the impact (effects) of those problems?

An FMEA should answer how likely a design, process, or system is to fail, why
the failure would occur, and if a failure occurs, how would it affect the
surrounding environment and the safety of the operators.

The goal of an FMEA is to increase reliability, performance, and safety. FMEA

also helps to prioritize deficiencies in a design or process and provides an
opportunity to correct problems before they occur. Furthermore, FMEA is a
practical tool for any risk assessment (e.g. risk-based inspection) and an
important element in a reliability-centered maintenance program.

How to Do an FMEA
The following outline is a general FMEA procedure meant to provide the minimum
requirements of an FMEA. An actual FMEA may be more or less detailed depending on
the significance of the project, component, process, or system. Moreover, it’s important
in any analysis to develop and implement a solution and measure the results of key
changes that were made during the process. Each step should be documented and
organized for future failure and risk assessments.

Step 1. Identify Scope of FMEA

The first step is to define the scope of the analysis by asking the following questions:

 Is the analysis for a new design, an existing piece of equipment, a system, or a

process?
 What is the purpose of the equipment, system, or process?
 What are the boundary conditions (e.g. external loads, temperature, pressure,
hydraulics)?

Step 2. Determine the Cause and Effects of Failure Modes

The second step is to identify all the possible functions of the subject (i.e.
component, system, process) and then determine how each of those functions may fail.
These are referred to as the possible failure modes. Other methods may be used to
supplement an FMEA such as a root cause analysis or a 5 Whys analysis. Once all

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potential failure modes are identified, the next step is to determine all possible
consequences of those failures.

Step 3. Calculate the Risk Priority Number

In this step, the severity of potential failures is prioritized and the most serious
problems are treated first. Failure modes are prioritized based on their Risk Priority
Number (RPN). The RPN is a numerical scale that quantifies:

1. The probability that the failure will happen (occurrence),

2. how likely that failure will be detected before it happens (detection), and
3. the significance the failure will have on personnel, equipment, and the
surrounding environment (severity).

RPN is commonly represented as the product of these three factors: RPN = Occurrence
x Detection x Severity.

Step 4. Develop and Implement Strategic Plan

When all failure modes have been assigned an RPN, the goal is to focus on the highest
priority risks first. Next, develop a plan to make process changes, design changes, or to
establish additional controls that would help mitigate the problem. Delegate tasks to
members of the team and set deadlines. It’s important to record any trends

changes are made in a process and measure the results of that change. The results can
be measured by re-calculating the RPN.

When to Use FMEA

An FMEA can be used on a new design, system, or process. It can also be used when
modifying an existing asset or process. Furthermore, FMEA is a comprehensive failure
analysis method that meets Process Hazard Analysis requirements under
OSHA’s Process Safety Management standard.

When all high-ranking RPN failure modes have been treated, the FMEA process can be
applied again at specific intervals determined by the FMEA team.

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