How HA and FMEA Relate
- Author
- Dianna Deeney
- Published
- Mon 18 Aug 2025
- Episode Link
- https://accendoreliability.com/podcast/sor/sor-1097-how-ha-and-fmea-relate/
How HA and FMEA Relate
Abstract
Dianna and Carl discuss the relationship between Hazard Analysis (HA) and Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA).
Key Points
Join Dianna and Carl as they discuss the how HA and FMEA relate and how they can work in synergy to create safer products.
Topics include:
- Fundamental differences and similarities
- How HA can effectively quantify risk by calculating the probability of harm, a dimension often missing from FMEA
- Practical techniques for identification and collective ownership of ideas
- Early HA and FMEA in a project can drive design decisions, prioritize testing, and improve overall risk management
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Show Notes
Hosts Carl Carlson and Dianna Deeney delve into the often-misunderstood interface between Hazard Analysis (HA) and Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA) and how HA and FMEA relate. While often seen as separate activities, they discuss how these two crucial processes can be integrated to enhance product safety and efficiency. Effective risk management planning, starting at the beginning of a project, is key to successfully aligning HA and FMEA.
FMEA typically begins with item identification, followed by describing functions and then failure modes. In contrast, Hazard Analysis often starts by listing high-level hazards such as electrical or physical risks, taking a top-down, system-level view that considers the product’s environment and users. Although a hazard itself can sometimes function as an effect in an FMEA, a significant difference lies in their outputs: HA can lead to a quantifiable probability of harm by combining the likelihood of a hazardous situation with the likelihood of harm given that situation. FMEA, on the other hand, provides a qualitative severity assessment and the likelihood of occurrence of a failure mode and its associated cause, but not the overall likelihood of harm.
HA and FMEA can complement each other; for instance, a hazard analysis can inform an FMEA to ensure no critical hazards are missed, or high-severity FMEA findings can prompt a thorough HA. Ultimately, integrating these analyses helps teams prioritize design activities and testing efforts based on a clearer understanding of potential risks.
The post SOR 1097 How HA and FMEA Relate appeared first on Accendo Reliability.
