Which technique is listed as a method for solving problems in incidents?

• A. Why Method
• B. Fishbone Diagram
• C. Failure Mode Effects Analysis
• D. Quality Circle

Answer: (A)

The main idea here is a straightforward way to uncover the root cause by continuously asking “why.” The Why Method uses an iterative, questions-and-answers approach: start with the incident, ask why it happened, then take the answer and ask why again, repeating until you reach the underlying cause. This forces investigators to look beyond symptoms and into the causal chain, producing a clear, actionable explanation of what happened and why. It’s well-suited to incident investigations because it’s simple to apply, doesn’t require complex tools, and yields a direct path to corrective actions.

A Fishbone Diagram helps organize potential causes into categories and is great for brainstorming and visualizing relationships, but it doesn’t inherently drive the line of reasoning to a single root cause. Failure Mode Effects Analysis focuses on identifying potential failures and their effects ahead of time to prevent them, which is proactive rather than the post-incident root-cause-solving approach. A Quality Circle is a group-based problem-solving activity that fosters collaboration, but it’s a broader process rather than a specific technique for drilling down into the root cause of an incident.