While TapRooT® is comprehensive, it is proprietary. If you cannot access the official PDF, consider these free/open-source alternatives to understand the concept:

However, for regulated industries (Nuclear, Pharma, Oil & Gas), TapRooT® remains the preferred system because the Dictionary provides the legal defensibility required for audit trails.

Date: October 26, 2023 Subject: Root Cause Analysis (RCA) Methodologies Focus: TapRooT® System, Root Cause Tree®, and the Dictionary Function


To understand the PDF, you must understand the tree’s structure. The Dictionary follows the same logical branches as the visual Root Cause Tree®.

The tree is divided into three major categories (the “trunk” of human error):

The investigation begins by determining which of seven major categories the root cause falls into. The Dictionary defines the scope of each:

Let’s walk through a real investigation scenario to see how the dictionary (PDF) works in practice.

Scenario: A chemical reactor overheats, triggering an emergency pressure relief valve. No injuries, but $200,000 in product loss.

Your team creates a timeline. You discover that a cooling water valve was closed manually and never reopened after a filter change.

Pdf — Taproot Root Cause Tree Dictionary

While TapRooT® is comprehensive, it is proprietary. If you cannot access the official PDF, consider these free/open-source alternatives to understand the concept:

However, for regulated industries (Nuclear, Pharma, Oil & Gas), TapRooT® remains the preferred system because the Dictionary provides the legal defensibility required for audit trails.

Date: October 26, 2023 Subject: Root Cause Analysis (RCA) Methodologies Focus: TapRooT® System, Root Cause Tree®, and the Dictionary Function taproot root cause tree dictionary pdf


To understand the PDF, you must understand the tree’s structure. The Dictionary follows the same logical branches as the visual Root Cause Tree®.

The tree is divided into three major categories (the “trunk” of human error): While TapRooT® is comprehensive, it is proprietary

The investigation begins by determining which of seven major categories the root cause falls into. The Dictionary defines the scope of each:

Let’s walk through a real investigation scenario to see how the dictionary (PDF) works in practice. However, for regulated industries (Nuclear, Pharma, Oil &

Scenario: A chemical reactor overheats, triggering an emergency pressure relief valve. No injuries, but $200,000 in product loss.

Your team creates a timeline. You discover that a cooling water valve was closed manually and never reopened after a filter change.