The protection provided by a sampling plan is primarily described by the OC curve of the sampling plan. For most sampling plans the protection is constant and the OC curve alone is adequate. For a few sampling plans the protection varies depending on the circumstances and multiple OC curves are required including the Stationary OC Curve, Maximum OC Curve and Minimum OC Curve.
The OC curves describe the protection for individuals lots. When inspecting a long series of lots, the AOQ curve and AOQL can also be used to further describe the behavior (protection) of the sampling plan.