Root cause analysis: 5 whys and fishbone

Skills you'll practise

• Write a clear, factual problem statement
• Use the 5 whys to reach a cause the team can act on, and recognize when a chain has gone wrong
• Build a fishbone diagram to list possible causes by category
• Check suspected causes against evidence before fixing
• Choose corrective actions that address the cause, not the person

Course outline

1. 1.Root cause analysis: 5 whys and fishboneVideo · 2 min
2. 2.From symptom to causeLesson · 15 min
3. 3.Checking causes and fixing themLesson · 15 min
4. 4.Using data to test causes: check sheets and stratificationLesson · 15 min
5. 5.Root cause analysis: 5 whys and fishbone: knowledge checkKnowledge check · 23 questions
6. 6.Root cause analysis: 5 whys and fishbone: practical exerciseKnowledge check · 1 question
7. 7.The jam that keeps coming backScenario
8. 8.Final exam10 questions · passing it completes the course, so people who already know the material can test out

Sources it draws on

The lessons and questions are written from these references, so learners can go back to the original.

• General root cause analysis practice (5 whys, cause-and-effect/fishbone diagrams)
• Your site's corrective-action or incident investigation procedure