Application of FMEA analysis to assess the safety of rail vehicles

This paper presents the methodological guidelines for the implementation of FMEA analysis to assess the hazards in the operation of rail vehicles. The systematic method of the risk evaluation during the operation of the vehicles allows identifying critical events as well as planning and realizing preventive maintenance of actions. Particular attention was paid to the application of the method to the needs and requirements of the railway industry. A sample sheet of FMEA was developed for the wheelset as the one of the basic subsystems of a rail vehicle. Due to the large volume of the sheet, only a fragment was shown. The presented approach was investigated with the accordance of IEC 60812:2006, selected industrial documents and other specialized publications.