TapRooT® Changing the Way the World Solves Problems

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Oct 2026

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About the show

TapRooT® is a systematic root cause analysis process, training, and software to analyze and fix the real root causes of problems. On our podcasts we have episodes from our TapRooT® TV program (seen on Facebook and YouTube) and will feature additional episodes to help you with your root cause analysis and incident investigation program.

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57 recent

October 22, 202622 min

Getting Unions to Buy Into Investigations

How can you get unions more involved in incident investigations? The key is moving beyond blame and focusing on finding root causes and preventing future incidents. In this TapRooT® Podcast, Mark and Alex discuss how to build trust between unions, safety professionals, and management through effective root cause analysis (RCA). Using real-world examples from industrial facilities, they explain how a blame-free investigation process can encourage union participation, improve corrective actions, and uncover system problems that might otherwise go unnoticed.

October 20, 202646 min

What is Defense in Depth?

Defense in Depth, originating from military tactics, is the concept of implementing multiple, redundant protections simultaneously. In the field of safety, this means adding not only a large quantity of safeguards, but incorporating robust ones. Join Alex, Mark, and Tim as they discuss their experiences with this concept in their own lines of work.

October 14, 202631 min

How Does Chick-fil-A Enforce Rules?

Why do people follow some rules consistently, but ignore others? In this episode of the TapRooT® Podcast, we use an unexpected example, Chick-fil-A's famous "My Pleasure" culture, to explore a much bigger question: How do organizations create committed behavior and get people to consistently follow important rules and procedures? For safety professionals, supervisors, managers, and incident investigators, this is more than a discussion about customer service. It's a lesson in root cause analysis, safety culture, leadership, employee behavior, training, management systems, and rule compliance. So join us, as we discuss the difference between simply telling people the rules and creating an environment where people are actually committed to following them. Want more information on root cause analysis and best practices? Subscribe to our weekly newsletter by clicking on the link below. https://taproot.com/contact/ Ready to start improving your investigation and safety culture now? Attend one of our 2-Day, 3-Day, or 5-Day Courses located all around the world. • 2-Day https://store.taproot.com/courses#sFi... • 3-Day (Virtual) https://store.taproot.com/courses#sFi... • 5-Day https://store.taproot.com/courses#sFi...

October 6, 202637 min

Why Do Workers Hide Information?

At many facilities, the workforce is all-too-quiet after an incident. No one is willing to share potentially incriminating information, even if the goal of the investigation is not to assign blame. Join Alex, Ken, and Mark as they discuss how to cultivate a work culture of honesty. Learn about our 2-day course: https://taproot.com/course/2-day-tapr... Learn about our 5-day course: https://taproot.com/course/5-day-tapr... Browse our socials, website, and more: https://linktr.ee/taprootrca

September 18, 202626 min

Does Safety Need To Be Painful

Humans are hard-wired to avoid pain, whether physical, emotional, or social. In a field as important as safety, is it possible, or even ethical, to use pain as a motivator for better behaviors? Join Alex, Marcus, and Tim as they break down how to keep the workplace as painless as possible. Learn more about the 5-Day TapRooT® Advanced RCA Course: https://taproot.com/course/5-day-tapr... Browse our site, socials, and more: https://linktr.ee/taprootrca #Safety #Leadership #Teamwork #Business #Podcast #Learning #rootcauseanalysis

September 18, 202627 min

Danger in the Green Zone

Can a fatality happen when everything looks “green”? In this TapRooT® Podcast, Mark, Marcus, and Alex take a closer look at the “green zone” in safety and challenge the assumption that good metrics automatically mean an organization is safe. A lack of incidents, strong productivity numbers, or a green KPI scorecard can create a dangerous false sense of security. If your organization is serious about preventing fatalities, improving safety performance, and strengthening Root Cause Analysis, this is a conversation you won't want to miss. Learn more about TapRooT® Root Cause Analysis, training, and upcoming courses using the links below. • 2-Day Courses: https://store.taproot.com/courses#sFi... • 3-Day (Virtual) Courses: https://store.taproot.com/courses#sFi... • 5-Day Courses: https://store.taproot.com/courses#sFi... • Pre-Summit & Summit: https://taproot.com/summit/ Follow Marcus, Alex, and Mark on LinkedIn: • Marcus: / marcus-miller • Alex: / alex-paradies-taproot-root-cause-analysis • Mark: / markparadies

September 18, 202639 min

What AI Can (and Can't) Do for Incident Investigations

Can AI improve root cause analysis and incident investigations, or is it creating new risks? AI is rapidly changing the way organizations work, but when it comes to incident investigations and Root Cause Analysis (RCA), faster doesn't always mean better. In this episode of the TapRooT® Podcast, Dan Verlinde, Mark Paradies, and Alex Paradies take a candid look at AI for investigations. They will discuss what it can do well, where it can go wrong, and why the human investigator still needs to be in the driver's seat. Viewers will learn about human oversight, investigation context, quality data, transparency, and guardrails are critical when applying AI to Root Cause Analysis. The discussion also explores how AI can be used with TapRooT®'s Root Cause Tree, Corrective Action Helper, and decades of human performance knowledge to assist investigators. The future of incident investigation isn't necessarily AI vs. humans. The real opportunity may be finding the right way for AI and investigators to work together.

September 1, 202623 min

Root Cause Analysis Red Flags

In this episode of the TapRooT® Podcast, the team breaks down the Root Cause Analysis red flags investigators, leaders, and RCA professionals should watch for. From stopping at “human error” to blaming contractors, relying too heavily on witness statements, and defaulting to training and procedures, these warning signs can reveal when an investigation simply isn't going deep enough. You'll learn how to recognize when an investigation is getting off track, and what you can do to improve the quality of your incident investigations, root cause analysis, evidence collection, and corrective actions.

August 19, 202636 min

The Human Error Prevention Hierarchy

Can you really prevent human error? In this TapRooT® Podcast, we take a closer look at human error prevention strategies, human factors, safeguards, and how organizations can reduce the risk of serious incidents. The discussion explores the idea that human error is normal, but the systems surrounding people can be improved to make errors less likely and their consequences less severe. Alex breaks down a hierarchy of error prevention and mitigation strategies, including automation, physical impossibility, active interlocks, visual cues, procedures and training, containment, warnings, and independent verification. You'll also hear real-world examples involving lockout/tagout, bypassed safeguards, equipment failures, human performance, and significant injuries and fatalities (SIFs), and why simply telling people to "be more careful" is rarely an effective corrective action. Most importantly, the conversation explains a key principle behind effective human error prevention: make it easy to do the right thing and hard to do the wrong.

August 18, 202631 min

What is a World-Class Investigation?

What makes a world-class incident investigation? Is it the amount of time spent investigating, the tools you use, or something more? In this episode of the TapRooT® Podcast, Mark, Ken, and Alex discuss the essential elements of a world-class root cause analysis (RCA). They explain why management support, investigator training, evidence collection, causal factor analysis, and effective corrective actions are critical to preventing repeat incidents. In this video you'll learn why rushing investigations can lead to poor results, why evidence-based timelines are essential, how to avoid stopping at human error, and why the ultimate goal of every investigation is implementing corrective actions that improve systems and prevent future incidents.