Root Cause Analysis is Machine Thinking

Seeking out and addressing root causes of problems is the ultimate fix for machines. If you simply repair the obvious failure, it may recur.   People are not machines!  Using root cause thinking with humans can actually make you miss the best solutions, especially in safety.  It is extremely limited thinking to look exclusively at human contribution as the problem or failure in accidental injuries.  

Human behavior is based on a complex mixture of influences and projections.  Past experience, training, analyses of job hazards, projections of what could cause injuries, and the overriding pressures to complete the work all influence behavioral choices.  A change in the weight of any of these or other influences can tip the balance of influence and change the logic of the choice.  Failure to identify risks due to low-probability or other factors play into the equation.  Simply underestimating risk probability is a growing problem.  Distractions to concentration at work are also growing as work gets more complex and technology increases the availability and amount of communication.

Rather than viewing human performance as a mechanical process, we need to see it more like a weather pattern that can be changed by multiple factors, something that needs to be forecast rather than fixed.

-Terry L. Mathis

For more insights, visit www.ProActSafety.com

Terry L. Mathis is the founder and CEO of ProAct Safety, an international safety and performance excellence firm. He is known for his dynamic presentations in the fields of behavioral and cultural safety, leadership, and operational performance, and is a regular speaker at ASSE, NSC, and numerous company and industry conferences. EHS Today listed Terry as a Safety Guru in ‘The 50 People Who Most Influenced EHS in 2010, 2011 and 2012-2013. He has been a frequent contributor to industry magazines for over 15 years and is the coauthor of STEPS to Safety Culture Excellence, 2013, WILEY.