RCA RCA Prevention and Control 2 ā Questions and Answers
Question 1: In the Swiss Cheese Model of accident causation, holes in the cheese slices represent:
- Opportunities for process improvement
- Weaknesses or failures in defensive layers (Correct answer)
- The number of people involved in an incident
- Steps in the RCA investigation process
Correct answer: Weaknesses or failures in defensive layers
In Reason's Swiss Cheese Model, the holes represent weaknesses or gaps in each defensive layer (barrier), and an accident occurs when all holes align allowing a hazard to pass through.
Question 2: Which of the following BEST describes a 'systemic' preventive action versus a 'local' preventive action?
- Systemic actions are cheaper; local actions are more expensive
- Systemic actions address organization-wide weaknesses; local actions fix only the immediate area (Correct answer)
- Systemic actions require external consultants; local actions use internal staff
- Systemic actions are temporary; local actions are permanent
Correct answer: Systemic actions address organization-wide weaknesses; local actions fix only the immediate area
Systemic preventive actions address root causes embedded in the broader organizational system, whereas local actions only fix the specific location or equipment where the incident occurred.
Question 3: After implementing preventive actions, what is the next critical step in the RCA process?
- Closing the RCA file and archiving documents
- Verifying effectiveness through monitoring and follow-up (Correct answer)
- Reassigning team members to new projects
- Conducting a new RCA on a different topic
Correct answer: Verifying effectiveness through monitoring and follow-up
Verifying effectiveness through monitoring confirms that the implemented actions actually prevented recurrence and that the root cause has been truly addressed.
Question 4: A 'leading indicator' used in RCA prevention monitoring is BEST described as:
- A measure of how many incidents occurred last quarter
- A proactive metric that signals risk before an incident happens (Correct answer)
- The final report submitted to regulators
- The total cost of corrective actions implemented
Correct answer: A proactive metric that signals risk before an incident happens
Leading indicators are proactive, predictive metricsāsuch as near-miss rates or inspection findingsāthat signal potential problems before they result in an actual incident.
Question 5: When applying the 'Defense in Depth' principle to RCA prevention, the goal is to:
- Create one very strong barrier to stop all hazards
- Layer multiple independent controls so failure of one does not cause an incident (Correct answer)
- Assign one expert to manage all safety controls
- Minimize the number of procedures staff must follow
Correct answer: Layer multiple independent controls so failure of one does not cause an incident
Defense in Depth stacks multiple independent layers of protection so that the failure of any single control does not allow a hazard to reach a harmful outcome.
Question 6: Which statement BEST describes the difference between a corrective action and a preventive action in RCA?
- Corrective actions are cheaper than preventive actions
- Corrective actions fix existing problems; preventive actions stop future problems from occurring (Correct answer)
- Corrective actions require management approval; preventive actions do not
- Corrective actions are documented; preventive actions are not
Correct answer: Corrective actions fix existing problems; preventive actions stop future problems from occurring
Corrective actions address a problem that has already occurred, while preventive actions are steps taken to ensure a similar problem does not occur in the future.
Question 7: What is 'normalization of deviance' and why is it a concern in RCA prevention?
- A statistical method for analyzing incident frequency
- The gradual acceptance of non-standard practices as normal, increasing risk over time (Correct answer)
- A technique for standardizing investigation procedures across departments
- A measurement scale for rating the severity of deviations
Correct answer: The gradual acceptance of non-standard practices as normal, increasing risk over time
Normalization of deviance occurs when workarounds or deviations from standard procedure are repeatedly tolerated without incident, causing people to accept them as safeāuntil an accident results.
RCA RCA Prevention and Control 2
In the Swiss Cheese Model of accident causation, holes in the cheese slices represent: