What best describes a contributing factor?

• A. Something that helps cause a result
• B. A final outcome of the incident
• C. An unrelated event
• D. A remedy added after the incident

Answer: (A)

A contributing factor is any condition or action that helps cause a result in an incident. In investigations, you look for elements that played a role in bringing about what happened, even if they weren’t the sole cause. There can be multiple contributing factors, including environmental conditions, human actions, equipment issues, or policy gaps, all of which help explain why the incident occurred and how to prevent recurrence.

Why this is the best description: it captures the idea that a contributing factor actively helps bring about the result, rather than being the final outcome, something unrelated, or a remedy implemented afterward. The final outcome is the result itself, an unrelated event isn’t connected to the incident, and a remedy added after the incident is a corrective action, not a factor that contributed to the incident.