Technical Safety: HAZOP FMECA

Technical Safety: HAZOP

FAILURE MODES, EFFECTS AND CRITICALITY ANALYSIS (FMECA)

 

FME(C)A (Failure Modes, Effects (and Criticality) Analysis) is a methodology to identify and analyse all potential failure modes of the various parts of a system, the effects of these failures, and how to avoid them and/or mitigate their effect.

 

The technique can be used prioritize and eliminate potential failures from the system, design or process in question. The purpose of a FMECA is to assist in selecting design alternatives, with high reliability and high safety potential during the early design phases.

 

A FMECA is conducted in a multidisciplinary workshop, where a leader facilitates the sessions and ensures a systematic and structured approach. A scribe records the discussions to ensure consistency and tracking of all items.

 

The outcome of a FMECA can also be used for:

 

• Development of early criteria for test planning and requirements for testing and test equipment

• Providing historical documentation for future reference to aid in analysis of field failures and consideration of design changes

• Providing a basis for maintenance planning

• Providing a basis for quantitative reliability and availability analyses

• If quantitative likelihoods from failure databases are used when assessing the criticality of a failure, the FMECA can give input to subsequent RAM, RBM and SIL analyses