In root cause analysis, which statement correctly describes contributory factors?

• A. Contributory factors are irrelevant to the problem.
• B. Contributory causes are secondary factors that contributed to the issue.
• C. Contributory causes are the single primary reason.
• D. Contributory causes are only about equipment failure.

Answer: (B)

Contributory factors are secondary elements that contributed to the issue but are not the sole cause. In root cause analysis you identify the chain of events and the conditions that allowed the problem to occur, and contributory factors are those additional conditions—whether related to people, processes, equipment, or environment—that helped drive the event or its impact. They help explain why the problem happened and how it could recur, but they’re not the single primary reason by themselves. The other statements are inaccurate because they either ignore the role these factors played, claim there was only one primary cause, or limit contributory factors to equipment failures.