Final answer:
Root cause analysis is the process used to analyze a safety event, find the true cause, and implement measures to prevent recurrence. It involves a careful examination of events, gathering information, and identifying cause and effect to address the issue fundamentally.
Step-by-step explanation:
The process in which a safety event is analyzed to determine the underlying cause and to prevent the event from occurring again is called Root cause analysis. This analytical method involves studying the sequence of events leading up to the safety event, identifying the true cause of the problem rather than just addressing its symptoms, and then implementing solutions to ensure the event does not happen again. An example would be a safety engineer reviewing accident reports to find cases of accidents caused by employees not following instructions, in order to address underlying issues.
Conducting a root cause analysis involves gathering information from various sources, such as stakeholders or expert literature, carefully considering the timeline of events, and identifying cause-and-effect relationships. When the root cause is found, corrective measures can be put into place for future prevention. For instance, if 35 percent of accidents are due to ignoring instructions, the analysis could lead to enhanced training or stricter enforcement of rules to lower that percentage.