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| Criterion |  Operations Accountability Ladder |  Operations Fault Tree Analysis |  Operations 5 Whys |  Operations Barrier Analysis |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | With defensive reactions to problems, the method shifts the view from justification to ownership. It makes visible which reaction stage a person or team is currently stuck on. | For a critical top event with several possible triggers, the method logically models failure paths. It makes visible which combinations of conditions can lead to damage. | For a single, hard-to-explain deviation, the method exposes the causal chain behind the visible symptom. It keeps the cause open until a controllable condition emerges instead of a mere description. | For a risk that can only be managed through multiple layers of protection, the method examines the effectiveness of each barrier. It shows where safeguards are missing, too weak, or fail under real conditions. |
Complexitydifferent | Low | High | Low | Medium |
Timedifferent | 20-45 min | 2-6 h | 15-30 min | 2-4 h |
Participantsdifferent | 1-8 | 3-8 | 2-6 | 2-6 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | Ownership Reflection, Action Commitment, Coaching Notes | Fault Tree, Critical Paths, Cause Hypotheses, Control Actions | Root cause notes, Countermeasures | Barrier Inventory, Failure Analysis per Barrier, Action Backlog |
Tagsno overlap | ResponsibilityLeadershipTeam | RiskRoot causeSafety | Root causeIncidentLeanProblem solving | Root causeSafetyIncident |