There are several steps involved in identifying risks in Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA):
- Identify the system or product being analyzed: This could be a specific component, process, or entire system.
- Identify the potential failure modes: These are the ways in which the system or product could fail to perform as intended.
- Determine the effects of each failure mode: This includes both the immediate effects on the system or product, as well as any secondary effects that may result from the failure.
- Assign a likelihood of occurrence and a severity rating for each failure mode: The likelihood of occurrence is a measure of how likely it is that the failure mode will occur, and the severity rating is a measure of the impact of the failure mode on the system or product.
- Calculate the Risk Priority Number (RPN) for each failure mode: The RPN is calculated by multiplying the likelihood of occurrence, the severity of the effect, and the detectability of the failure mode. The RPN is used to prioritize potential failure modes and determine which ones should be addressed first.
- Identify potential corrective actions: These are measures that can be implemented to prevent or mitigate the failure mode from occurring.
- Implement and verify corrective actions: Once potential corrective actions have been identified, they should be implemented and verified to ensure that they are effective in addressing the identified failure modes.
- Review and update the FMEA regularly: The FMEA should be reviewed and updated periodically to ensure that it remains current and relevant, and to identify any new failure modes that may have emerged over time.
It is important to involve a diverse team of individuals in the FMEA process, as different perspectives and expertise can help to identify a wider range of potential failure modes and corrective actions.