Improving an existing root cause analysis and corrective action program

Almost every nuclear power plant in North America has an existing root cause analysis and corrective action program. Since a good root cause analysis and corrective action program is essential for safe, reliable production of nuclear power, one question that should be asked is: “How does one improve an existing root cause analysis and corrective action program?” A rather novel approach is to use the concepts of the Toyota Production System (TPS or Lean) to cut waste and improve the effectiveness of root cause analysis and accident/incident investigation. Applying Lean thinking can produce eye-opening, practical, but uncommon ideas to improve an existing root cause analysis and corrective action program and make them more efficient and effective.