---
title: "FMEA Template: Worksheet with Severity, Occurrence, and Detection Scales"
description: "FMEA template for building equipment, with its severity, occurrence and detection scales."
---

1. [Templates](/templates/)

# FMEA worksheet

Failure mode and effects worksheet for building equipment, with its severity, occurrence and detection scales.

[Download CSV](/templates/fmea-worksheet/fmea-worksheet.csv)

- Or [start on the free plan](https://app.fixahead.com/signup), no card.

- Use this file as a spreadsheet.

| Column |
| --- |
| Item number |
| Item name and function |
| Failure mode |
| Failure mechanism or cause |
| Local effect |
| Next higher level effect |
| End effect |
| Failure detection method |
| Compensating provisions |
| Severity |
| Remarks |
| Occurrence |
| Detection |
| RPN |

Fill one row per failure mode, numbered under its item, for example 100.1. Then rank the failure modes by RPN, highest first, and list them by severity as well.

## Severity (S)

| S | Effect | Criterion |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | None | No reason to expect the failure to affect safety, health, the environment or operations. |
| 2 | Very low | Minor disruption to facility function. Repair to failure can be done during a routine service call. |
| 3 | Low | Minor disruption to facility function. Repair to failure takes longer than a routine service call but does not delay operations. |
| 4 | Low to moderate | Moderate disruption to facility function. Some work may need redoing, or the process may be delayed. |
| 5 | Moderate | Moderate disruption to facility function. All of the operation may need redoing, or the process may be delayed. |
| 6 | Moderate to high | Moderate disruption to facility function. Some of the operation is lost. Moderate delay in restoring function. |
| 7 | High | High disruption to facility function. Some of the operation is lost. Significant delay in restoring function. |
| 8 | Very high | High disruption to facility function. All of the operation is lost. Significant delay in restoring function. |
| 9 | Hazard | Potential safety, health or environmental issue. Failure will occur with warning. |
| 10 | Hazard | Potential safety, health or environmental issue. Failure will occur without warning. |

## Occurrence (O)

Adjust the failure rates to the equipment, in hours, days or cycles.

| O | Failure rate | Criterion |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | 1 in 10,000 | Remote probability; failure is unlikely to be expected. |
| 2 | 1 in 5,000 | Very low failure rate, like similar equipment that has had low failure rates under the same volume and load. |
| 3 | 1 in 2,000 | Low failure rate, like similar equipment under the same volume and load. |
| 4 | 1 in 1,000 | Occasional failure rate, like similar equipment that has had similar failure rates. |
| 5 | 1 in 500 | Moderate failure rate, like similar equipment that has had moderate failure rates. |
| 6 | 1 in 200 | Moderate to high failure rate, like similar equipment that has had moderate failure rates. |
| 7 | 1 in 100 | High failure rate; similar equipment has had frequent failures that caused problems. |
| 8 | 1 in 50 | High failure rate; similar equipment has had frequent failures that caused problems. |
| 9 | 1 in 20 | Very high failure rate; almost certain to cause problems. |
| 10 | 1 in 10 or more | Very high failure rate; almost certain to cause problems. |

## Detection (D)

| D | Detection | Criterion |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | Almost certain | Current checks are almost certain to detect the failure. Reliable checks are known for similar equipment. |
| 2 | Very high | Very high likelihood current checks will detect the failure. |
| 3 | High | High likelihood current checks will detect the failure. |
| 4 | Moderately high | Moderately high likelihood current checks will detect the failure. |
| 5 | Moderate | Moderate likelihood current checks will detect the failure. |
| 6 | Low | Low likelihood current checks will detect the failure. |
| 7 | Very low | Very low likelihood current checks will detect the failure. |
| 8 | Remote | Remote likelihood current checks will detect the failure. |
| 9 | Very remote | Very remote likelihood current checks will detect the failure. |
| 10 | Almost impossible | No known check is available to detect the failure. |

## Risk priority number (RPN)

RPN is severity times occurrence. Where detection is ranked, RPN is severity times occurrence times detection.

At a high severity, immediate corrective action may be needed whatever the RPN. Where a maker's manual or a local authority sets the failure modes, intervals, or ratings for the equipment, it governs instead.