A good investigation is likely to reveal several _____.

• A. Contributing factors
• B. Root causes
• C. Direct causes
• D. Immediate triggers

Answer: (A)

Incidents rarely have a single cause; they arise from a set of conditions and decisions that line up to allow harm or loss. A good investigation focuses on identifying multiple contributing factors—the various conditions in the workplace, procedures, equipment, training, and management practices that collectively increase the likelihood of an incident. Recognizing several contributing factors helps you target systemic improvements and prevent recurrence, rather than assuming one root cause or one triggering event explains everything. While direct causes or immediate triggers describe the specific event that happened, and root causes are underlying issues, those elements are typically part of a larger constellation of contributing factors that the investigation maps out. So the best answer is contributing factors.