What is the purpose of containment action in NCRs?

• A. It prevents rework and further processing of nonconforming items.
• B. It prevents further use or shipment of nonconforming items while root cause is investigated.
• C. It eliminates root causes immediately.
• D. It closes the NCR.

Answer: (B)

Containment action is the immediate step taken to stop the impact of a nonconformance by isolating the affected items so they cannot be used or shipped. The purpose is to protect customers and downstream processes while a root cause analysis is conducted. This involves holding or quarantining nonconforming items, clearly labeling them, and restricting their movement until a disposition decision is made. It’s a temporary measure that preserves evidence and limits exposure, helping the team determine how widespread the issue is, which lots are affected, and what actions are required (rework, scrap, or accept after correction). Containment is separate from solving the underlying problem; solving that comes through corrective action after root cause is found. The NCR isn’t closed at containment; closure comes after containment and the resulting corrective actions are verified. Typical containment steps include hold points, isolation, tagging as nonconforming, and documenting responsibilities and criteria for release.