Root Cause Analysis Handbook: A Guide to Efficient and Effective Incident Investigation (Third Edition)

Are you trying to improve performance, but find that the same problems keep getting in the way? Safety, health, environmental quality, reliability, production, and security are at stake. You need the long-term planning that will keep the same issues from recurring. Root Cause Analysis Handbook: A Guide to Effective Incident Investigation is a powerful tool that gives you a detailed step-by-step process for learning from experience.

Reach for this handbook any time you need field-tested advice for investigating, categorizing, reporting and trending, and ultimately eliminating the root causes of incidents. It includes step-by-step instructions, checklists, and forms for performing an analysis and enables users to effectively incorporate the methodology and apply it to a variety of situations.

Using the structured techniques in the Root Cause Analysis Handbook, you will:

• Understand why root causes are important.
• Identify and define inherent problems.
• Collect data for problem-solving.
• Analyze data for root causes.
• Generate practical recommendations.

The third edition of this global classic is the most comprehensive, all-in-one package of book, downloadable resources, color-coded RCA map, and licensed access to online resources currently available for Root Cause Analysis (RCA). Called by users "the best resource on the subject" and "in a league of its own." Based on globally successful, proprietary methodology developed by ABS Consulting, an international firm with 50 years' experience in 35 countries.

Root Cause Analysis Handbook is widely used in corporate training programs and college courses all over the world. If you are responsible for quality, reliability, safety, and/or risk management, you'll want this comprehensive and practical resource at your fingertips. The book has also been selected by the American Society for Quality (ASQ) and the Risk and Insurance Society (RIMS) as a "must have" for their members.

LEE N. VANDEN HEUVEL is Manager of Incident Investigation/Root Cause Analysis Services and the Manager of Training Services for ABS Consulting, with 23+ years of experience in plant operations and analysis. He has assisted organizations in many different industries with the development and implementation of incident investigation and root cause analysis (RCA) programs. He has also led and participated in investigations in many types of industries, including chemical, refining, healthcare, manufacturing, drilling, machining, pharmaceuticals, waste disposal, nuclear power, and food processing. Mr. Vanden Heuvel was previously the project manager and lead analyst for a large quantitative risk assessment program at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory. He also worked for 8 years at a nuclear power plant in operations, engineering support, and training. His current responsibilities are in the areas of RCAs, incident investigations, human factors, procedures, safety analyses, and economic/decision analyses. DONALD K. LORENZO is the Director of Training Services for ABS Consulting. He has 28+ years of experience in hazard analysis and risk assessment. He was previously a development engineer for Union Carbide Corporation. Mr. Lorenzo specializes in safety and environmental applications of ABS Consulting s SOURCE methodology. He is a registered Professional Engineer in the state of Tennessee and a Certified Technical Trainer. WALTER E. HANSON is a Project Manager and Risk/Reliability Engineer for ABS Consulting. He has 22+ years of experience in developing, implementing, and managing loss prevention management systems, including mishap investigation, system safety, policy and procedure, training systems, performance measurement, and human factors. At ABS Consulting he works on various risk management projects for the United States Coast Guard (Coast Guard) and other transportation and maritime clients. He was a primary developer of ABS Consulting s Marine Root Cause Analysis Technique (MaRCAT). LAURA O. JACKSON is a Risk/Reliability Engineer for ABS Consulting. She has been involved in evaluating risks associated with corporate and governmental operations through the development and application of a number of methodologies, including relative risk ranking, risk matrices, enterprise risk management (ERM), project risk management, root cause analysis, & hazard & operability (HAZOP) analysis. She has served on teams that investigated incidents at a variety of commercial facilities, and she has performed comprehensive hazard assessments, including security risk, for the United States Coast Guard and the Department of Homeland Security. JAMES J. ROONEY is a Senior Risk/Reliability Engineer and Manager of Webinar Training Services for ABS Consulting. He has 25+ years of experience in quality engineering, reliability engineering, risk assessment, and process safety management. He is a Fellow of the American Society for Quality (ASQ), ASQ-certified HACCP auditor, Certified Quality Auditor, Certified Quality Engineer, Certified Quality Improvement Associate, Certified Quality Manager, Certified Reliability Engineer and registered Professional Engineer in the state of Tennessee. He specializes in quality & medical applications of the SOURCE(tm) technique. DAVID A. WALKER has been working in the risk management, process safety, loss prevention, incident investigation/root cause analysis, system reliability, & asset integrity management fields for the past 18 years. He is Vice President of Public Sector for ABS Consulting. He is also an instructor for (1) ABS Consulting Training Services, (2) professional societies such as the American Society of Mechanical Engineers and the American Institute of Chemical Engineers Center for Chemical Process Safety, and (3) specialized centers at universities.