TapRooT® Changing the Way the World Solves Problems

How Does Chick-fil-A Enforce Rules?

Why do people follow some rules consistently, but ignore others? In this episode of the TapRooT® Podcast, we use an unexpected example, Chick-fil-A's famous "My Pleasure" culture, to explore a much bigger question: How do organizations create committed behavior and get people to consistently follow important rules and procedures? For safety professionals, supervisors, managers, and incident investigators, this is more than a discussion about customer service. It's a lesson in root cause analys

Why Do Workers Hide Information?

At many facilities, the workforce is all-too-quiet after an incident. No one is willing to share potentially incriminating information, even if the goal of the investigation is not to assign blame. Join Alex, Ken, and Mark as they discuss how to cultivate a work culture of honesty. Learn about our 2-day course: https://taproot.com/course/2-day-tapr... Learn about our 5-day course: https://taproot.com/course/5-day-tapr... Browse our socials, website, and more: https://linktr.ee/taprootrca

Does Safety Need To Be Painful

Humans are hard-wired to avoid pain, whether physical, emotional, or social. In a field as important as safety, is it possible, or even ethical, to use pain as a motivator for better behaviors? Join Alex, Marcus, and Tim as they break down how to keep the workplace as painless as possible. Learn more about the 5-Day TapRooT® Advanced RCA Course: https://taproot.com/course/5-day-tapr... Browse our site, socials, and more: https://linktr.ee/taprootrca #Safety #Leadership #Teamwork #Business #P

Danger in the Green Zone

Can a fatality happen when everything looks “green”? In this TapRooT® Podcast, Mark, Marcus, and Alex take a closer look at the “green zone” in safety and challenge the assumption that good metrics automatically mean an organization is safe. A lack of incidents, strong productivity numbers, or a green KPI scorecard can create a dangerous false sense of security. If your organization is serious about preventing fatalities, improving safety performance, and strengthening Root Cause Analysis, thi

What AI Can (and Can't) Do for Incident Investigations

Can AI improve root cause analysis and incident investigations, or is it creating new risks? AI is rapidly changing the way organizations work, but when it comes to incident investigations and Root Cause Analysis (RCA), faster doesn't always mean better. In this episode of the TapRooT® Podcast, Dan Verlinde, Mark Paradies, and Alex Paradies take a candid look at AI for investigations. They will discuss what it can do well, where it can go wrong, and why the human investigator still needs to be

Root Cause Analysis Red Flags

In this episode of the TapRooT® Podcast, the team breaks down the Root Cause Analysis red flags investigators, leaders, and RCA professionals should watch for. From stopping at “human error” to blaming contractors, relying too heavily on witness statements, and defaulting to training and procedures, these warning signs can reveal when an investigation simply isn't going deep enough. You'll learn how to recognize when an investigation is getting off track, and what you can do to improve the qual

The Human Error Prevention Hierarchy

Can you really prevent human error? In this TapRooT® Podcast, we take a closer look at human error prevention strategies, human factors, safeguards, and how organizations can reduce the risk of serious incidents. The discussion explores the idea that human error is normal, but the systems surrounding people can be improved to make errors less likely and their consequences less severe. Alex breaks down a hierarchy of error prevention and mitigation strategies, including automation, physical imp

What is a World-Class Investigation?

What makes a world-class incident investigation? Is it the amount of time spent investigating, the tools you use, or something more? In this episode of the TapRooT® Podcast, Mark, Ken, and Alex discuss the essential elements of a world-class root cause analysis (RCA). They explain why management support, investigator training, evidence collection, causal factor analysis, and effective corrective actions are critical to preventing repeat incidents. In this video you'll learn why rushing investi

Hidden Costs of Shallow Investigations

The Hidden Cost of Shallow Investigations | Why Poor Root Cause Analysis Costs More Than You Think What happens when your incident investigations only scratch the surface? In this episode of the TapRooT® Podcast, we uncover the hidden costs of shallow root cause analysis. While quick investigation methods like 5 Whys may seem efficient, they often fail to identify the true systemic causes behind incidents. Join the Alex, Justin, and Tim as they discuss why organizations continue to repeat the

Do Root Causes Actually Exist?

Deer Signs for QHSE Investigators

Small things, like wet paint or uncleanly break rooms, can be very revealing about your workplace's culture. Can you spot the QHSE deer signs? 5-Day TapRooT® Advanced RCA Course: https://taproot.com/course/5-day-taproot-advanced-root-cause-analysis-team-leader-training/ Socials, website, resources, and more: https://linktr.ee/taprootrca

Stop Extinguishing, Start Preventing Fires

Are you investigating too many incidents or not enough? Many organizations say they don't have time to investigate every incident. But is the real problem the number of investigations, or the lack of a system for prioritizing and solving the right problems? In this episode of the TapRooT® Podcast, Mark Paradies, Alex Paradies, and Amy Souders discuss how organizations become overwhelmed by recurring problems, why every issue doesn't require the same level of investigation, and how effective ro

Stop Wasting Money On Equipment Troubleshooting

Why do so many equipment failure investigations end with "replace the part" instead of preventing the next failure? In this episode of the TapRooT® Podcast, Alex, Mark, and Justin explain why traditional equipment investigations often fail to identify the true root cause. Learn how combining equipment troubleshooting with root cause analysis (RCA) helps investigators move beyond failed components to uncover the organizational, maintenance, design, and human performance issues driving repeat fai

Safety Theater

In this episode of the TapRooT® Podcast, we break down the truth about leading indicators, lagging indicators, safety metrics, and “safety theater.” Are your KPIs actually improving safety performance or just encouraging people to game the system? Mark and Tim discuss how organizations misuse safety measures like TRIR, behavior-based safety observations, corrective action closure rates, and leading indicators. They explore how poorly designed metrics can create unintended consequences, hide rea

Making the World a Better Place

In this episode of the TapRooT® Podcast, we discuss why thorough incident investigations and root cause analysis matter, not just for compliance, but for saving lives, protecting families, and creating safer workplaces. Topics covered include: • Why workplace investigations are critical • Preventing fatalities through proactive safety practices • Real stories about incident prevention and safety culture • How root cause analysis improves organizational performance • The importance of continuous

A Single Root Cause?

In this episode of the TapRooT® Podcast, we tackle one of the biggest misconceptions in root cause analysis: the belief that every incident has only one root cause. Join Mark, Ken, and Alex as they discuss why incidents, accidents, equipment failures, and human errors almost always involve multiple causal factors and multiple root causes. Learn why searching for “the root cause” can limit learning opportunities, weaken corrective actions, and create blame-focused investigations.

Are You Investigating Enough?

Are you confident your investigations are digging deep enough, or are they stopping too soon? In this episode, Alex Paradise, Mark Paradise, and Ken Reed tackle one of the toughest questions in root cause analysis... "How do you know if you’re investigating enough to prevent future incidents?"

Can a Warning Last 10,000 Years?

What if the safety message you write today had to be understood 10,000 years from now? In this lively episode, Alex sits down with Mark and Ken to explore the real-world challenge of designing a warning sign that can communicate danger across millennia. But this isn’t just a fascinating thought experiment about warning and signs. It’s a powerful lesson in root cause analysis, human performance, and effective communication.

What Happened to Old Crow Bourbon: Quality Change-Analysis

What can a famous bourbon teach us about root cause analysis and change analysis? In this episode of the TapRooT® Podcast, we explore the fascinating rise and fall of the legendary bourbon brand Old Crow. This story is full of lessons about assumptions, investigation, and how change can impact performance.

Why Do Operators Hate Procedures

Procedures are a point of frustration in many industries. If instructions are too long, short, vague, or detailed, operators can quickly become frustrated. Join Alex, Amy, and Mark as they discuss how to make better procedures.