[SystemSafety] FMEA draft international standard

[Peter Bernard Ladkin]

On 2014-07-16 12:58 , Matthew Squair wrote:
> There's already standards released and available for FMEA, see the SAE's J standard, and the
> venerable MIL-STD-1629. So why do we need another? Before we go gaily skipping down the primrose
> path of generating another  standard, perhaps someone could state clearly why these are inadequate
> and clearly define what the hoped for improvement is? 

Each automobile company has its own internal standard, most of which are technically far more
detailed than any of the public standards.

The point is scope. Ford's FMEA standard is for Ford. MIL-STD-1629 is for the US military. SAE is
for automotive products. Actually, I wouldn't be surprised if the SAE standard is there simply
because FMEA is named in FAR25.1309 as one of the three methods companies may use to show their
products conform with the required risk limits (the two others being STs and RBDs).

If you want an FMEA in, say, a chemical plant, or a power plant, or a washing machine, then it is
not covered by any of these. And if the IEC doesn't do it, ISO will, so there is some element of
competition present (this is fact, BTW, not speculation).

Technical standards aren't necessarily for engineers. They are definitely for management, insurance
companies and courts. They are important for product liability and for insurance purposes. They are
used in litigation, mediation and arbitration like laws. Jens Braband has warned us about this, and
I have actually been involved. It's no fun constructing arguments around something you know is
inadequate or inappropriate.

PBL

Prof. Peter Bernard Ladkin, Faculty of Technology, University of Bielefeld, 33594 Bielefeld, Germany
Tel+msg +49 (0)521 880 7319  www.rvs.uni-bielefeld.de