What is a root cause analysis?

• A. A summary report of the incident without correcting actions.
• B. A process to assign blame for an incident.
• C. A method to identify the underlying reasons for an incident to prevent recurrence.
• D. A process for documenting the time of occurrence.

Answer: (C)

Root cause analysis is a process for uncovering the underlying reasons an incident occurred so you can prevent it from happening again. It goes beyond fixing the immediate symptom and digs into what conditions, flaws, or failures in people, processes, technology, or environment allowed the incident to happen. Techniques like asking why several times or using a fishbone diagram help map out contributing factors and identify systemic issues, not just one-off mistakes. The aim is to implement corrective actions that address the root causes, reducing the chances of recurrence. It’s not about blaming individuals, nor is it merely a summary or a record of when the incident happened without proposing fixes.