Guidelines for Creating Causal Factor Charts and Fault Trees

General Create the chart or tree using Post-it notes before creating it in Excel. Begin by deleting the blocks that will not be used. Then rearrange the remaining blocks to reflect the organization of your chart. Select the appropriate paper size using the printer setup. The default templates are set up assuming that legal size paper (8.5 inches by 14 inches) will be used. The default templates are designed to be seven items high by eleven items wide. Using 10 point font and 55% reduction will generate an acceptable printout. Some objects may look like they go outside the margins at zoom settings of less than 100%. Check for proper margins by using 100% zoom. Using the Drawing Toolbar Use the Drawing toolbar to draw the chart. To display the Drawing toolbar, select View, Toolbars, Drawing. To connect items on the chart, use Autoshapes on the Drawing toolbar. To select items, use the arrow selector on the Drawing toolbar. To snap items to the grid (so they align more easily), select Draw, Snap, Grid on the Drawing toolbar. Miscellaneous To turn the gridlines off and make it easier to see the chart or tree, select Tools, Options, then the View tab. Uncheck the Guidelines box to turn off guidelines. For the main event line and valid fault tree paths, select the appropriate items and set their line widths to 2-1/4 pt. (normal lines are 0.75 pt.). To put the causal factor marking or cross-out markings on top, select the item, then right click on it, and select Order, bring to front. For each question, ensure that both the question and the potential source for answering the question are identified for any remaining questions. 24-hour a Day Incident Investigation or Root Cause Analysis Assistance For 24-hour a day assistance with incident investigations or root cause analyses, please call ABS Consulting's Rapid Response Incident Investigation Services Hotline at (865) 368-HELP. This number is staffed 24 hours a day by one of ABS Consulting's lead investigators. For assistance in using this file, please call: Lee N. Vanden Heuvel Manager - Incident Investigation and Root Cause Analysis Services ABS Consulting Phone: 865.671.5848 Fax: 865.966.5287 E-mail: LNV@absconsulting.com Steven G. Schoolcraft Lead Investigator ABS Consulting Phone: 865.671.5809 Fax: 865.966.5287 E-mail: sschoolcraft@absconsulting.com

Causal Factor Diagram for ??

Source Source Source Source Source Source Source Source Source Source

CF

CF

CF Time Source Time Source Time Source Time Source Time Source Time Source Time Source Time Source Time Source Time Source

CF

Time Source

Time Source

Time Source

Time Source

Time Source

Time Source

Time Source

Time Source

Time Source

Time Source Source

Time Source

Time Source

Time Source

Time Source

Time Source

Time Source

Time Source

Time Source

Time Source

Time Source

Time Source

Time Source

Time Source

Time Source

Time

Time Source

Time Source

Time Source

Time Source

Time Source

Time Source

Time Source

A
Time Time Time Time Time Time Time Time Time Time

Source

Source

Source

Source

Source

Source

Source

Source

Source

Source

Source

Time Source

Time Source

Time Source

Time Source

Time Source

Time Source

Time Source

Time Source

Time Source

Time Source

Time

Time

Time

Time

Time

Time

Time

Time

Time

Time

Time

CF Template 1 of 168972345.xls.ms_office

Page 3 of 7

9/2/2013 at 7:33 AM

Causal Factor Diagram for ??

CF Template 1 of 168972345.xls.ms_office

Page 4 of 7

9/2/2013 at 7:33 AM

Causal Factor Diagram for ?? (cont'd)

Source

Source

Source

Source

Source

Source

Question Source Time Source Time Source Time Source Time Source Time Source

Question

Time Source

Time Source Time Time Time Time Time Time

Question Source Source Source Source Source

Question Source

Time Source Time

Source

Time
Source

Time
Source

Time
Source

Time
Source

CF

Time
Source

Time Source Time Time Time Time Time Source Source Time

Source

Source

A
Time Time

Time

Loss Event

Source Source Time Source

Time

Source

Source

Time Source

Source

Source

Source
Source Time Source Time Source Time Source Time Time Source Time Time Time

Time
Source

Time
Source

Time
Source Source Time Source

Time Source

Time Source

Time Source

Time Source Time

Time

Time

Time

Time

Time

CF Template 2 of 168972345.xls.ms_office

Page 5 of 7

9/2/2013 at 7:33 AM

Fault Tree for ??

Notes

Top Event

AND/OR

Event

Event

Event

Event

Event

Event

Event

OR Notes

AND/OR

AND/OR

AND

AND

OR

AND/OR

Event

Event

Event

AND/OR

AND/OR

AND/OR

Notes
CF Event Event Event CF

Question CF CF

FT Template 1 of 168972345.xls.ms_office

6 of 7

9/2/2013 at 7:33 AM

Fault Tree for ?? (cont'd)

A
Notes

Top Event

AND/OR

Event

Event

Event

Event

Event

Event

Event

OR Notes

AND/OR

AND/OR

AND

AND

OR

AND/OR

Event

Event

Event

AND/OR

AND/OR

AND/OR

Notes CF
Event Event Event

CF Question

CF

CF

FT Template 2 of 168972345.xls.ms_office

7 of 7

9/2/2013 at 7:33 AM