Which statement best defines a root cause?

• A. The fundamental reason that directly led to the incident.
• B. A contributing factor that increased risk but was not the underlying cause.
• C. The final consequence of the incident.
• D. An external factor unrelated to operations.

Answer: (A)

Root cause means the fundamental reason that started the chain of events leading to the incident—the underlying driver in the system, such as a flaw in process, training, or design, that, if fixed, would prevent recurrence. It’s not just something that increased risk or contributed to the incident but wasn’t the primary trigger. It isn’t the final outcome or consequence of the incident, and it isn’t an external factor unrelated to how the operation functions. When you identify the root cause, you’re pinpointing the core issue that directly set things in motion, which is why that option is the best definition.