Should ALL Engineers Be Trained in Root Cause Analysis?

Root Cause Analysis Training for Engineers

Before I can answer the question, “Should all engineers be trained in root cause analysis?” I would have to know a couple of things…

• Are they working in engineering jobs?
• What kind of root cause analysis training is proposed?
• How will they apply the training in their workplace?

Let’s consider these and answer the question.

What Types of Jobs Do The Engineers Work In and How Will They Apply RCA at Work?

Of course, if the engineers perform incident investigations and root cause analyses of safety, quality, production, or maintenance issues as part of their normal jobs, I would automatically say, “YES!” But I’ve seen other types of engineers benefit from a good root cause analysis course. For example:

• Design Engineers (to prevent problems in their designs)
• Sales Engineers (to prevent problems or analyze engineering sales issues)
• Process Safety Engineers (who may be involved in incident investigations or other analyses like Hazops or LOPA)
• Regulatory/Licensing Engineers (to look into regulatory issues)
• Quality Engineers (for use in quality audits)

That’s a sample. Can you think of additional examples? Add your ideas in the comments below.

What Kind of Root Cause Analysis Training Are We Proposing?

First off, many (most?) engineers have had some sort of problem-solving training in college. Many have had simple techniques like 5-Whys or Fishbone Diagrams. Therefore, we aren’t proposing these simple techniques, which are not particularly useful for complex engineering issues.

Additionally, many engineers receive training in Failure Modes and Effects Analysis (FMEA) through a college course. So, I would not propose duplicating this training.

What I would propose is a 5-Day TapRooT® Advanced Root Cause Analysis Team Leader Training (see THIS LINK for the full course outline).

Why would I propose this training?

FIRST, I would propose the training to teach basic human factors and human error prevention techniques to engineers. Most engineers don’t receive human factors training as part of their basic engineering knowledge in college. This is unfortunate, but IF the root cause analysis training you are considering incorporates human factors knowledge, they can benefit greatly just from this part of the training.

We had a client that trained 30 of their design engineers in a 5-Day TapRooT® Root Cause Analysis Course that was modified for the engineers so that, as a final exercise, they would use what they learned to perform an audit of one of their designs or procedures they had written. They went out and performed the audits and then did a root cause analysis of the problems they discovered during the audit.

One of the engineers discovered that they had installed a pump start switch down in a sump that should have been labeled as a confined space. Operators were required to enter the space daily to start/stop the pump. They weren’t getting a confined space entry permit.

He said, “I didn’t have to put the switch there. It was just convenient to wire it that way. I could have put the switch somewhere much easier to access. I’m definitely going to propose a design change.”

And that’s just one example. Every engineer came up with ideas to improve their previous designs or procedures.

SECOND, I would want the engineers to learn a systematic, evidence-based, and fact-based, guided root cause analysis technique that meets all of the fundamentals of a good root cause analysis system. What are the fundamentals of a good root cause analysis system? See THIS LINK. Or watch this video…

TapRooT® Root Cause Analysis was developed with these fundamentals in mind. It helps engineers analyze simple or complex issues, including:

• Operational upsets, process downtime, and equipment setup issues
• Process safety incidents
• Maintenance and equipment reliability issues
• Quality issues
• Safety incidents

THIRD, I would want my engineers to learn a system that has been adopted by industry leaders from around the world. And that is what the TapRooT® RCA System is. See some examples of user success at THIS LINK.

Schedule Your Training Today

How can you schedule TapRooT® Root Cause Analysis Training for your engineers?

FIRST, you can send them to one of our public 5-Day Advanced Root Cause Analysis Team Leader Courses that are held around the world. See the upcoming dates and locations HERE.

SECOND, you can CONTACT US to schedule a course at your site. Our implementation advisors will be happy to help you get a course scheduled. You can call them at 865-539-2139.