What is the purpose of RIGWAW in incident investigations?

• A. To maximize compensation for workers.
• B. To get to the root cause.
• C. To document payroll data.
• D. To assign blame to a single worker.

Answer: (B)

RIGWAW is a structured approach used in incident investigations to uncover the underlying reason an incident occurred. The key aim is to reach the root cause—the fundamental deficiency in a process, training, equipment, environment, or management system that allowed the incident to happen. By identifying the root cause, investigators can design corrective actions that address systemic issues and prevent recurrence, rather than stopping at surface symptoms or assigning blame. This focus on root causes aligns with safety and prevention goals, whereas the other options either do not improve safety or rely on factors outside of systemic improvements.