Root Cause Analysis, 4th Edition

15

2

Introduction to the Field

of Root Cause Analysis

WHAT IS ROOT CAUSE ANALYSIS (RCA)?

What a seemingly easy question to answer, yet no standard, generally accepted de-

nition of RCA exists in the industry today, of which we are aware. Technical societies,

regulatory bodies, and corporations have their own denitions, but it is rare to nd

two denitions that match. For the sake of having an anchor or benchmark denition,

we will use the denitions provided by the Department of Energy (DOE) Guideline

entitled “Root Cause Analysis Guidance Document (DOE-NE-STD-1004-92).”

*

In the DOE document referenced above, the following is cited:

The basic reason ...