• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

SafetyRisk.net

Humanising Safety and Embracing Real Risk

  • Home
    • About
      • Privacy Policy
      • Contact
  • FREE
    • Slogans
      • Researchers Reveal the Top 10 Most Effective Safety Slogans Of All Time
      • When Slogans Don’t Work
      • CLASSIC, FAMOUS and INFAMOUS SAFETY QUOTES
      • 500 OF THE BEST AND WORST WORKPLACE HEALTH and SAFETY SLOGANS 2023
      • CATCHY and FUNNY SAFETY SLOGANS FOR THE WORKPLACE
      • COVID-19 (Coronavirus, Omicron) Health and Safety Slogans and Quotes for the Workplace
      • Safety Acronyms
      • You know Where You Can Stick Your Safety Slogans
      • Sayings, Slogans, Aphorisms and the Discourse of Simple
      • Spanish Safety Slogans – Consignas de seguridad
      • Safety Slogans List
      • Road Safety Slogans 2023
      • How to write your own safety slogans
      • Why Are Safety Slogans Important
      • Safety Slogans Don’t Save Lives
      • 40 Free Safety Slogans For the Workplace
      • Safety Slogans for Work
    • FREE SAFETY eBOOKS
    • Free Hotel and Resort Risk Management Checklist
    • FREE DOWNLOADS
    • TOP 50
    • FREE RISK ASSESSMENT FORMS
    • Find a Safety Consultant
    • Free Safety Program Documents
    • Psychology Of Safety
    • Safety Ideas That Work
    • HEALTH and SAFETY MANUALS
    • FREE SAFE WORK METHOD STATEMENT RESOURCES
    • Whats New In Safety
    • FUN SAFETY STUFF
    • Health and Safety Training
    • SAFETY COURSES
    • Safety Training Needs Analysis and Matrix
    • Top 20 Safety Books
    • This Toaster Is Hot
    • Free Covid-19 Toolbox Talks
    • Download Page – Please Be Patient With Larger Files…….
    • SAFETY IMAGES, Photos, Unsafe Pictures and Funny Fails
    • How to Calculate TRIFR, LTIFR and Other Health and Safety Indicators
    • Download Safety Moments from Human Resources Secretariat
  • Social Psychology Of Risk
    • What is Psychological Health and Safety at Work?
    • Safety Psychology Terminology
    • Some Basics on Social Psychology & Risk
    • Understanding The Social Psychology of Risk – Prof Karl E. Weick
    • The Psychology of Leadership in Risk
    • Conducting a Psychology and Culture Safety Walk
    • The Psychology of Conversion – 20 Tips to get Started
    • Understanding The Social Psychology of Risk And Safety
    • Psychology and safety
    • The Psychology of Safety
    • Hot Toaster
    • TALKING RISK VIDEOS
    • WHAT IS SAFETY
    • THE HOT TOASTER
    • THE ZERO HARM DEBATE
    • SEMIOTICS
    • LEADERSHIP
  • Dr Long Posts
    • ALL POSTS
    • Learning Styles Matter
    • There is no Hierarchy of Controls
    • Scaffolding, Readiness and ZPD in Learning
    • What Can Safety Learn From Playschool?
    • Presentation Tips for Safety People
    • Dialogue Do’s and Don’ts
    • It’s Only a Symbol
    • Ten Cautions About Safety Checklists
    • Zero is Unethical
    • First Report on Zero Survey
    • There is No Objectivity, Deal With it!
  • THEMES
    • Risk Myths
    • Safety Myths
    • Safety Culture Silences
    • Safety Culture
    • Psychological Health and Safety
    • Zero Harm
    • Due Diligence
  • Free Learning
    • Introduction to SPoR – Free
    • FREE RISK and SAFETY EBOOKS
    • FREE ebook – Guidance for the beginning OHS professional
    • Free EBook – Effective Safety Management Systems
    • Free EBook – Lessons I Have Learnt
  • Psychosocial Safety
    • What is Psychosocial Safety
    • Psychological Safety
      • What is Psychological Health and Safety at Work?
      • Managing psychosocial hazards at work
      • Psychological Safety – has it become the next Maslow’s hammer?
      • What is Psychosocial Safety
      • Psychological Safety Slogans and Quotes
      • What is Psychological Safety?
      • Understanding Psychological Terminology
      • Psycho-Social and Socio-Psychological, What’s the Difference?
      • Build a Psychologically Safe Workplace by Taking Risks and Analysing Failures
      • It’s not weird – it’s a psychological safety initiative!
You are here: Home / Accidents and Incidents / Let’s Get The Dirt On Root Cause Analysis

Let’s Get The Dirt On Root Cause Analysis

June 7, 2016 by Admin Leave a Comment

Let’s Get The Dirt On Root Cause Analysis

3d image root cause issues concept word cloud background

It has been said that our seduction with the notion of root cause analysis has done more damage to safety and risk that anything else – there is likely never going to be a definitive root cause for anything – and how far back do we go – do we just keep going until time and money run out? (check out the new video below)

One of our readers, Adam Johns, just posted an awesome question on our Topic Suggestions page. I was once a big fan of root cause analysis and wrote about it in this now embarrassing blog post a few years ago. There are very few things in safety more simplistic, biased and subjective than root cause analysis. I can understand the attraction.  However, what is not always appreciated is that, due to the interdependency of various systems and their components upon each other, initiatives may correct one problem but displace the problem elsewhere in another unanticipated form “These problems of interdependency can be referred to as messes”. (Hancock and Holt, Tame, Messy and Wicked Problems in Risk Management 2003). Band-aid or simplistic solutions implemented to address root causes, in the hope of solving a wicked problem, will almost always result in unexpected by-products and trade-offs.

Here is a new Video Released along with the new book Risky Conversations, The Law, Social Psychology and Risk

21. ROOT CAUSE from Human Dymensions on Vimeo.

I hope that our awesome authors and readers will chime in with some “sensible words”. Adam writes:

I’d like to hear some thoughts on the concept of ‘Root Cause’. In my world of aviation safety, 100+ years of accident and incident investigation has taught us that accident chains are not linear and it takes multiple ‘failures’ (sic) in a system to lead to a serious occurrence. However, some in my field continue to talk about root cause as a reliable and useful metric to capture, especially when considering non-conformances.

One simple example I’ve come across in my work to help explain Root Cause to auditors is that if the TV remote control isn’t working then the root cause is ‘Batteries not replaced’. Surely this is BS?! Most root cause analyses I’ve seen are very process and procedure driven and do not get down to how individual human and social dynamics may have resulted in the non-conformance or occurrence. But as an auditor or investigator can you ever get down to this level of detail? So many questions!

Some sensible words on this topic to help me explain the flaws in root cause to my peers would really help! I’m also interested in hearing any views in support of root cause. Always open minded!

Some recent articles on Root Cause Analysis:

Just Get to the Bottom of it

butt-kick_thumb.gif

Just Get to the Bottom of it….. Guest Post by Rob Sams from Dolphin Safety Solutions. I enjoyed meeting and chewing the fat with Rob over breakfast this morning. A great bloke who really gets what real safety and risk is all about! An incident occurs at work, the well entrenched procedures quickly kick into play – …… Read the rest of the article

 

Is the Safety Function Focusing On the Wrong Things?

image_thumb.pngOut of Focus: Is the Safety Function Focusing On the Wrong Things?   By Phil La Duke on his blog http://philladuke.wordpress.com/ Phil says: In this week’s post I identify three areas that the safety profession has been obsessing on, and ask the question have we been focused on the wrong things for …… Read the rest of the article

Please share our posts

  • Click to print (Opens in new window)
  • Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)

Related

Filed Under: Accidents and Incidents, Investigation, Wicked Problems Tagged With: by-products, root cause analysis, trade-offs

Reader Interactions

Do you have any thoughts? Please share them below Cancel reply

Primary Sidebar

Search and Discover More on this Site

Never miss a post - Subscribe via Email

Enter your email address and join other discerning risk and safety people who receive notifications of new posts by email

Join 7,499 other subscribers

Introduction to SPOR – FREE!!

Psychosocial Safety and Mental Health Series

ISO 45003 and What it Cannot Do

The KISS of Death in Safety

Behavioural Safety is NOT a Foundation for Tackling Psychosocial and Mental Health

The Worst Approach to Psychosocial Problems is an Attitude of ‘Fixing’

The Language of ‘Hazards’ and Psychosocial, Mental Health

Welcome to the Nightmare, Safety Creates its Own Minefield (as usual)

No Good Reason to Follow Reason

The Moral Harm of the Zero Cult

Toxic Positivity in Safety Doesn’t Help Anyone

Safety, Ethics, SPoR and How to Foster the Abuse of Power

More Posts from this Category

NEW! Free Download

Please take our 2 minute zero survey

Recent Comments

  • Brent Charlton on The KISS of Death in Safety
  • Rob Long on The KISS of Death in Safety
  • Brian Edwin Darlington on The KISS of Death in Safety
  • Brian on The Language of ‘Hazards’ and Psychosocial, Mental Health
  • Jaise on The Language of ‘Hazards’ and Psychosocial, Mental Health
  • Rob Long on Posture Myths and Holistic Ergonomics
  • Linda McKendry on Posture Myths and Holistic Ergonomics
  • Rob long on Welcome to the Nightmare, Safety Creates its Own Minefield (as usual)
  • Matt Thorne on Welcome to the Nightmare, Safety Creates its Own Minefield (as usual)
  • Anonymous on Welcome to the Nightmare, Safety Creates its Own Minefield (as usual)
  • Jason on How Bias Inhibits Learning in Safety
  • Rob Long on How Bias Inhibits Learning in Safety
  • Admin on How Bias Inhibits Learning in Safety
  • Rob Long on 400,000 Free Downloads
  • Gustavo Saralegui on 400,000 Free Downloads
  • Rob long on To Err is Human, You Better Believe It
  • Wynand on To Err is Human, You Better Believe It
  • Rob Long on To Err is Human, You Better Believe It
  • simon cassin on To Err is Human, You Better Believe It
  • Rob Long on Records of safety activities: evidence of safety or non-compliance?

FREE eBOOK DOWNLOADS

Footer

VIRAL POST – The Risk Matrix Myth

Top Posts & Pages. Sad that most are so dumb but this is what safety luves

  • 500 OF THE BEST AND WORST WORKPLACE HEALTH and SAFETY SLOGANS 2023
  • Free Safety Moments and Toolbox Talk Examples, Tips and Resources
  • Road Safety Slogans 2023
  • CATCHY and FUNNY SAFETY SLOGANS FOR THE WORKPLACE
  • ISO 45003 and What it Cannot Do
  • 15 Safety Precautions When Working With Electricity
  • Download Safety Moments from Human Resources Secretariat
  • NATIONAL SAFETY DAY/WEEK IN INDIA 2023
  • An Advanced Understanding of Culture – A Video
  • How to Calculate TRIFR, LTIFR and Other Health and Safety Indicators

Recent Posts

  • ISO 45003 and What it Cannot Do
  • Harming People in the Name of Good
  • An Advanced Understanding of Culture – A Video
  • Risk and Safety Maturity
  • The KISS of Death in Safety
  • SPoR, Metanoia and a Podcast on Change with Nippin Anand
  • Behavioural Safety is NOT a Foundation for Tackling Psychosocial and Mental Health
  • The Worst Approach to Psychosocial Problems is an Attitude of ‘Fixing’
  • SPoR Comes to Vienna June 2023
  • The Language of ‘Hazards’ and Psychosocial, Mental Health
  • Welcome to the Nightmare, Safety Creates its Own Minefield (as usual)
  • The Visionary Imagination – Louisa Lawson
  • Heaven ‘n Hell and the Safety Religion
  • Confirmity in Conformity
  • Numerology and Psychic Numbing
  • Thinking of Mortality
  • Safety is the Wrong Anchor
  • Foresight Blindness, Hindsight Bias and Risk
  • Getting the Balance Right in Tackling Risk
  • What is SPoR?
  • How Bias Inhibits Learning in Safety
  • Afraid to Let Go of What Doesn’t Work in Safety
  • When You Don’t Know What to do in Safety, Have Another Blitz!!!
  • Gloves and Glasses Compliance
  • A Case of Desensitisation – What Would You Do?
  • How to Leave the Safety Industry
  • The Mythic Symbology of Safety
  • Dark Waters, The True Story of DuPont and Zero
  • 400,000 Free Downloads
  • Am I stupid? I didn’t think of that…
  • Don’t Look Now Safety, Your Metaphor is Showing
  • Ratio Delusions and Heinrich’s Hoax
  • To Err is Human, You Better Believe It
  • Culture as a Wicked Problem, for Safety
  • Safety Leadership Training
  • Cultural Orientation in Risk
  • The Stanford Experiment and The Social Psychology of Risk
  • Objectivity, Audits and Attribution When Calculating Risk
  • Records of safety activities: evidence of safety or non-compliance?
  • Zero, The Seeking of Infinity
  • Safety Leadership Essentials
  • What Can Indiana Jones Tell Us About Culture
  • Safety as a Worldview
  • The Loathing of Limits
  • Culture Cannot be Framed Through Safety
  • Free Online Workshops
  • Safety Culture–Hudson’s Model
  • Book Launch – For the Love of Zero – in Portuguese
  • Advancing Backwards in Safety
  • The ‘Noise’ of Safety, Silence and Practicing of Mindfulness

VIRAL POST!!! HOW TO QUIT THE SAFETY INDUSTRY

FEATURED POSTS

Managing Risk Rather Than Striving for Absolute Safety

The Convenience of Complacency

Brain-Centredness and Occular-Centredness in Risk

What is the Mind of Safety?

A Critique of Pure Reason

What Can Marx Say to Safety?

Snap, Crackle, Pop. That’s the Sound we Love to Hear

Forecasting Safety

No Moral Compass in Zero

SPoR, Ideology and Safety Myth

New Video Explains Cognitive Dissonance and Safety

Tensions and Faultiness in Risk

Understanding Habit, Habituation and Change

No Ethic of Hope in Zero

Risk You Can Eat

iCue Diagnostic, What is Your Risk iCue?

Balance in Risk and Safety

Say Something that Makes Sense

Diagnosing Safety

Social Media and Safety

Risky Conversations, The Law, Social Psychology and Risk

Why is Myth so Scary to Safety?

The Lexicon of Safety Gibberish

Human Dymensions Newsletter–Feb 14

The Worm at the Core

A Small Change and ‘Y’ it Matters?

The Curse of Behaviourism

Risk Leadership

Is there “Common Sense” in safety?

Does Safety Have A Soul?

There is no way I would do that!

Due Diligence Workshop Sydney 20,21 February 2019

Safety and the Spin of Disruption

Transdisciplinary Safety

CLLR April 2017 Newsletter–Not Your Usual Safety Newsletter!!

Sayings, Slogans, Aphorisms and the Discourse of Simple

Social Psychology of Risk Two Day Workshop

Overcoming Safety Indoctrination

Doing Something Bad Well

Who Gives a Toss?

More Posts from this Category

Subscribe to Blog via Email

Enter your email address and join other discerning risk and safety people who receive notifications of new posts by email

Join 7,499 other subscribers

How we pay for the high cost of running of this site – try it for free on your site

WHAT IS PSYCHOLOGICAL SAFETY?

What is Psychological Safety at Work?


WHAT IS PSYCHOSOCIAL SAFETY