Which level is defined as the underlying reasons an incident happened?

• A. Level I
• B. Level II
• C. Level III
• D. Level IV

Answer: (C)

Root causes are identified at Level III, where you look for the deeper, underlying reasons the incident occurred. Level I covers the immediate events and direct triggers, while Level II examines contributing factors in the task, equipment, or environment that allowed the incident to happen. Level III digs into fundamental issues such as design flaws, gaps in training, supervision weaknesses, or ineffective risk controls that qualitatively enabled those proximate causes. By addressing these root causes, you reduce the chance of recurrence rather than just fixing surface conditions. Level IV involves broader organizational influences that shape safety performance, which are important for systemic improvement but are not the immediate underlying reason for a single incident.