Human Factors Engineering: Seeing if the workspace or tool design led to a mistake.

The dictionary is the "secret sauce" of the TapRooT® system. It works alongside the to provide a structured path for investigators: TapRooT : root cause tree dictionary - Internet Archive

While the complete proprietary tools are not free, System Improvements regularly offers free educational webinars, whitepapers, case studies, and a weekly newsletter on root cause analysis best practices via their official website.

But Sarah knew that wasn't the whole story. The operator, Dave, was one of their best.

: You are only allowed to check that root cause on your tree if your investigation evidence successfully answers "yes" to the mandatory criteria in the dictionary.

But what exactly is this dictionary? Why is it so critical to root cause analysis? And most importantly, can you legally access it for free? This article provides a comprehensive deep dive into the TapRoot methodology, the structure of the Root Cause Tree, and how to leverage the dictionary without violating intellectual property rights.

Each entry includes specific questions to help you determine if a root cause applies.

It provides a common language for investigators, ensuring that different people looking at the same incident identify the same root causes.

The Dictionary works in tandem with the , a structured tool designed to help users move beyond blaming individuals and identify the systemic failures that allowed an event to occur. Key Features of the Dictionary:

: A technical paper from the Flight Safety Foundation detailing how the Root Cause Tree® and Dictionary are integrated into investigations.