Root Cause Analysis Training

Root Cause Analysis Training

Root Cause Analysis Definition

Root cause analysis (RCA) is a systematic approach applied to identify the real causes of a targeted problem or incident.

RCA was first initiated to be used in industries and manufacturing plants, but RCA methods are currently being used broadly in multiple areas, including industrial, engineering, non-engineering, medical, healthcare, educational, etc.

A primary tenet of RCA is to detect underlying issues that increase the chance of failures, rather than focusing on the surface and eliminating the symptoms. Hence, RCA utilizes the systems approach to determine both active and latent errors. RCA is considered as one of the most broadly used retrospective approaches for detecting safety hazards.

Root cause analysis generally starts with agreeing on a targeted problem, then collecting relevant data and analyzing them, through discovering the real cause of the problem. Once the underlying cause(s) is identified, then corrective and preventive action plans will be developed and implemented. Such plans will not only fix the problem from the root but also prevent the problem from happening again in future. A multidisciplinary team would be ideal to perform RCA studies.

In a simple language, RCA is a process of:

• Determining what happened
• Determining why it happened
• Exploring what to do to decrease the possibility that it will happen again

Basic Causes of Problems/Incidents

• Physical causes
• Human causes
• Organizational causes

RCA Objectives

The main objective of using RCA is to evaluate problems or events to identify:

• What really happened?
• How exactly it happened?
• Why it happened, what are the reasons?
• How to fix it?
• How to avoid it from reoccurring?

Benefits of RCA

• RCA helps identifying the burdens and the root causes of problems in order to coming up with permanent solutions
• It enables to establish a rational methodology to problem-solving, by utilizing the available data
• RCA explores the current and future needs for organizational improvement
• RCA helps developing repeatable, step-by-step protocols, in which one process verifies the results of another

RCA Principles

• RCA concentrates on changing/eliminating root causes rather than just simply treating the symptoms of a problem or event.
• An effective RCA is accomplished only through a structured process with the outcomes backed up by real data
• Generally, there is more than one root cause to a problem or event to be treated, which often affect each other
• It is pointless to ask who caused a problem as opposed to why it occurred

Analyzing Roots

There are multiple tools, protocols, and techniques of performing RCA. In fact, RCA was developed due to the demand for assessing different enterprise activities such as:

• Accident evaluation and occupational safety and health
• Quality control
• Effective business process
• Engineering and maintenance failure analysis
• Multiple systems-based procedures, including change and risk management

How/Where RCA Can be Beneficial?

Following is a list of events where RCA can be applied to resolve issues and offer preventive actions include:

• Major accidents
• Everyday incidents
• Minor near-misses
• Human errors
• Maintenance problems
• Medical mistakes
• Productivity issues
• Manufacturing mistakes
• Environmental releases
• Risk analysis, risk mapping

Fundamental RCA Methods

• Define the problem
• Collect relevant information, data, and evidence
• Detect all issues and events that associated with the problem
• Identify root causes
• Generate recommendations for removing or reducing the repeating of problems or events
• Implement the identified solutions

RCA Approaches

The main goal of RCA is to detect all and multiple causative factors to a problem or event. This can only be achieved through an analysis method. Some of the methods are:

• The “5-Whys” Analysis
• Barrier Analysis
• Change Analysis
• Causal Factor Tree Analysis
• Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA)
• Fishbone Diagram or Ishikawa Diagram
• Pareto Analysis
• Fault Tree Analysis

Why Do We Need Root Cause Analysis?

• Experience has proved that temporary solutions only work for a short time. In order to treat a problem forever, we would need a permanent solution. Short-term solutions result in iterating the same process every time a problem/event occurs. If you want your company to be profitable, you need to take care of the issues at the roots, not surface.
• RCA tackles the causes not the effects. This is more effective and permanent. Although it might take longer to be done, but its results also last longer.
• Profitability and efficiency require treating the problems at the roots. By eliminating what has really caused a problem, you in fact establish a preventive solution that will stop the problem permanently.
• Eliminating the root cause reduces the maintenance and labor time and cost, while it decreases the shut-down times

Surface (Symptom) Approach vs Root Cause Analysis

• In symptoms approach, it matters who made errors, while in RCA, it matters what caused the error
• In symptoms approach, workers and employees are trained to be more careful, while in RCA, mistake-proofing methods get established to fix errors
• In symptoms approach, there is never enough time to fix the problems at the roots, while in RCA, sufficient amount of time is dedicated to fix a problem at its root because it’s a permanent treatment

Fundamental Elements of RCA

• Methods and materials
• Bad inputs
• Wrong role
• Shortage or lack of input material
• Machine/equipment/instrument failures
• Wrong choice of instrument
• Bad maintenance
• Bad design
• Faulty equipment installation
• Malfunctioned equipment
• Harmful environment
• Absence of systematic workplace
• Bad or wrong job description
• Natural causes
• Management
• Bad management
• Distraction while working
• Hazards not secured properly
• Stress demands
• Inefficient procedures
• When procedures are not implemented in practice as they are intended to
• Bad communication
• Lack of proper and sufficient training
• Unenthusiastic employees
• Previously identified hazards were not eliminated

What Will You Learn?

• Problem solving methods
• How to determine all the potential causes there
• 5Whys method
• Failure Modes Effect Analysis (FMEA)
• Pareto analysis method
• Fault Tree Analysis (FTA)
• Bayesian inference method
• Ishikawa (fishbone) diagram method
• Cause Mapping
• Barrier analysis method
• Change analysis method
• Causal factor tree analysis method
• Data gathering tools
• Data analysis methods
• Human-based causes identification
• Root cause elimination action plan
• Statistical methods
• Developing corrective and preventive actions (CAPA)
• How to monitor the effectiveness and efficiency of the CAPA
• 8D tool
• Design FMEA (DFMEA)
• Process FMEA (PFMEA)
• Failure Modes Effect Critical Analysis (FMECA)
• Apollo Root Cause Analysis (ARCA)

TONEX root cause analysis training courses are applied to solve all types of problems in various industries. Learn about tools and techniques on how to investigate errors, defects, failures, losses, outages and incidents in a wide variety of industries using: Cause Mapping analysis method of root causes, captures the complete investigation with the best training programs.

Since 1993,TONEX has been conducting Root Cause Analysis training throughout the world, both at client sites and public locations. TONEX has trained many engineers, managers and technicians on how effectively solve problems using variety tools and technique. All of our courses in root cause analysis training are available for delivery at your site or training venue around the world.