Quality Control & Process Improvement Flashcards
7 cards from real ASC practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Quality Control & Process Improvement flashcards as text
What is the primary purpose of an after-action review (AAR) following an avalanche incident or close call?
Answer: To identify what went well and what should change to prevent recurrence
AARs focus on systematic learning by analyzing decisions, communications, and actions so future groups can improve their processes.
When two team members disagree on a slope's hazard rating during a Go/No-Go discussion, what quality control practice best resolves this?
Answer: Share specific observations and apply a structured decision-making framework together
Sharing observable evidence and using a structured framework (such as AIARE's travel protocols) grounds disagreements in data rather than hierarchy or majority opinion.
Which root-cause analysis tool is most applicable to identifying systemic errors in avalanche decision-making?
Answer: The Five Whys technique applied to the decision chain
The Five Whys technique iteratively asks why each decision was made, exposing the underlying cognitive or procedural failures that led to the incident.
At what point during a ski tour should a mid-route reassessment of avalanche conditions be triggered?
Answer: Whenever conditions change from those observed at the trailhead, such as new shooting cracks or whumpfing
Dynamic field conditions like shooting cracks, whumpfing, or recent natural avalanches are real-time signals that require immediate reassessment of the travel plan.
How does a pre-tour plan contribute to quality control during avalanche travel?
Answer: It establishes decision points, escape routes, and thresholds before cognitive load increases in the field
Pre-planning sets clear thresholds and checkpoints when team members are calm and unhurried, improving in-field decision quality under pressure.
Which human factor most commonly degrades decision quality in avalanche terrain and should be monitored as a process control?
Answer: Summit fever and commitment bias overriding objective hazard signals
Commitment bias causes groups to discount or minimize hazard signals once invested in reaching an objective, and recognizing it is a key process control in AIARE frameworks.
What is the best way for a group to document lessons learned from a near-miss avalanche event for future process improvement?
Answer: Submit a formal report to a near-miss database such as those maintained by avalanche centers
Near-miss databases aggregate field data from multiple groups, enabling pattern recognition and program-level improvements that no single team could achieve alone.