What is the core purpose of asking 'Why did this happen?' in the Why Method?

• A. To identify the person responsible
• B. To determine root causes
• C. To blame workers
• D. To document incidents

Answer: (B)

The Why Method is used to drill down to the underlying factors that allowed the incident to happen by repeatedly asking why something occurred. The best answer is that its purpose is to determine root causes because identifying these deeper causes lets you address systemic issues in processes, training, equipment, or management systems, rather than just naming who was involved or merely recording what happened. While documenting the incident is important, the method’s value lies in revealing why the event occurred so you can put in corrective actions that prevent recurrence. This approach isn’t about blaming workers or pinpointing a single person; it’s about uncovering the series of contributing factors that created the unsafe condition and transforming that insight into safer operations.