RCA RCA Prevention and Control 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is the primary goal of implementing preventive actions after completing a Root Cause Analysis?
- To assign blame to responsible parties
- To eliminate or reduce the likelihood of recurrence (Correct answer)
- To document the incident for legal purposes
- To satisfy regulatory reporting requirements
Correct answer: To eliminate or reduce the likelihood of recurrence
Preventive actions aim to eliminate or reduce the likelihood that the same root cause will produce another incident in the future.
Question 2: Which type of control is considered most effective in the hierarchy of controls for preventing recurrence?
- Administrative controls
- Personal protective equipment
- Engineering/elimination controls (Correct answer)
- Warning signs and labels
Correct answer: Engineering/elimination controls
Engineering controls and elimination are at the top of the hierarchy of controls because they physically remove or reduce the hazard rather than relying on human behavior.
Question 3: A 'barrier analysis' in RCA prevention focuses on which of the following?
- Identifying obstacles that slowed the investigation
- Evaluating controls that should have prevented the event but failed (Correct answer)
- Measuring the financial impact of the incident
- Defining communication barriers between team members
Correct answer: Evaluating controls that should have prevented the event but failed
Barrier analysis examines the safeguards or controls that were in place, why they failed to prevent the event, and how stronger barriers can be implemented.
Question 4: When ranking preventive actions, which criterion is MOST important to consider first?
- Cost of implementation
- Effectiveness in addressing the root cause (Correct answer)
- Ease of implementation
- Stakeholder preference
Correct answer: Effectiveness in addressing the root cause
Effectiveness in actually addressing the root cause is the primary criterion because a cheap, easy action that doesn't fix the root cause provides little value.
Question 5: What is a 'poka-yoke' device used for in RCA prevention strategies?
- Tracking corrective action deadlines
- Making errors physically impossible or immediately detectable (Correct answer)
- Storing RCA documentation securely
- Communicating findings to leadership
Correct answer: Making errors physically impossible or immediately detectable
Poka-yoke (mistake-proofing) devices are design features that make it impossible or very difficult for errors to occur, removing reliance on human vigilance.
Question 6: Which element is essential for a preventive action plan to be actionable and accountable?
- A general description of the problem
- Assigned ownership and a target completion date (Correct answer)
- Approval from all department heads
- A budget exceeding the cost of the incident
Correct answer: Assigned ownership and a target completion date
Assigning a responsible owner and a specific target date ensures accountability and measurable progress toward completing each preventive action.
Question 7: What is 'latent failure' in the context of RCA prevention and control?
- A failure that occurs slowly over many years
- A dormant systemic weakness that contributes to incidents when triggered (Correct answer)
- A failure mode that only affects legacy equipment
- An error made by untrained personnel
Correct answer: A dormant systemic weakness that contributes to incidents when triggered
Latent failures are hidden systemic weaknesses—such as poor procedures or design flaws—that lie dormant until combined with active failures or triggering conditions to cause an incident.
RCA RCA Prevention and Control 1
What is the primary goal of implementing preventive actions after completing a Root Cause Analysis?