What is the relationship between data analysis and incident prevention?

• A. Data analysis helps prevent future incidents
• B. Data analysis is used to assign blame
• C. Data analysis has no impact on prevention
• D. Data analysis is only for compliance reporting

Answer: (A)

Data analysis turns incident information into insights that drive prevention. By examining patterns in what went wrong, how often, where, and under what conditions, you identify root causes and risk factors. Those insights let you design preventive actions—updated procedures, training, engineering controls, maintenance schedules—and you can track how effective those actions are over time. This makes the work proactive and focused on stopping recurrence, not on assigning blame or just meeting paperwork requirements. While data can inform compliance, its real value for safety is enabling continuous improvement and stronger prevention.