What does the OCC (Occurrence) rating in a Failure Mode and Effects Analysis signify?

The OCC (Occurrence) rating in a Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA) signifies the likelihood of a specific failure occurring. This rating is an essential component of the FMEA process, which evaluates potential failure modes within a system, product, or process and determines their effects on overall performance or customer satisfaction.

By assessing the OCC, teams can prioritize which failure modes require more focus and resources based on their probability of occurrence. A higher OCC rating indicates a greater likelihood of that failure happening, prompting proactive measures to mitigate or manage those risks. This focus on occurrence helps organizations implement strategies to enhance reliability and prevent failures before they impact operations or customers.

In contrast, other aspects of the FMEA framework address different concerns; the likelihood of detection pertains to how easily a failure can be noticed, impact significance relates to the severity of the failure's consequences, and the duration of the failure refers to how long the failure persists. Each of these elements plays a role in the overall analysis but does not specifically represent the OCC rating's primary concern.