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Method session2-4 hWorkshop or asyncBarriere-Inventar

Session: Barrier Analysis

The plan translates the method into a concrete facilitated work block. Your inputs flow directly into the session brief and work artifact.

Derived automatically

Method session with 2-6. The plan uses the existing method logic and the runsheet.

Runsheet
Participation logic
Team round, shared work and alignment

Use the session for shared understanding. Contributions are collected visibly, assumptions are aligned, and open differences remain traceable in the artifact.

Outcome logic
Finish artifact

The session works directly toward Barriere-Inventar. After the session, the artifact should be shareable, reviewable, or reusable.

  1. 1

    Phase 1: Sketch the line of effect

    20-30 min

    Name the energy or hazard source concretely, for example 'hot hydraulic fluid at 80 C, 30 bar'. Name the target person or target object. Draw the line of effect on the whiteboard. Hint: If the source stays abstract ('risk'), the barrier analysis cannot be carried out. A concrete physical, procedural, or organizational line of effect is mandatory.

    FacilitatorBarriere-Inventar
  2. 2

    Phase 2: Inventory the barriers

    30-45 min

    List all existing barriers: technical (guards, sensors, emergency shutdown), procedural (approvals, checklists), organizational (training, supervision). Add a short description per barrier. Hint: Frequently only technical barriers are seen. Procedural and organizational barriers are often the first to fail and belong in the list.

    FacilitatorVersagensanalyse je Barriere
  3. 3

    Phase 3: Check existence, function, and effectiveness per barrier

    45-90 min

    Answer three questions separately for each barrier: Did it exist at the time of the event? Did it function technically? Was it effective enough? Add evidence to each answer. If it failed, document the failure reason. Hint: Mixed judgments ('it was there but not good enough') are a common mistake. Three separate questions create clarity. Failure reason distinguishes technical defect, operating error, and design weakness.

    FacilitatorMaßnahmen-Backlog
  4. 4

    Phase 4: Identify missing barriers

    20-30 min

    Check each phase of the line of effect: which barrier is missing that could have prevented the event? Reference industry standards, best practices, and audits. Record missing barriers as separate findings. Hint: Missing barriers are easily overlooked because they did not fail, they were simply absent. Search actively with the question 'what should have been there?'.

    FacilitatorBarriere-Inventar
  5. 5

    Phase 5: Derive measures

    30-45 min

    For every failure finding, define a measure: repair, replace, strengthen, or add the barrier. Prioritize measures by impact and effort. Assign owner and deadline per measure. Hint: A measure like 'repeat training' is often a weak answer. If the failure reason was a design weakness, training is symptom treatment. Prefer engineered solutions first.

    OwnerVersagensanalyse je Barriere
  6. 6

    Publish artifact

    10 min

    Check the artifact for completeness, define location, set version or status, and name review recipients.

    OwnerBarriere-Inventar
Usable artifact

Session Brief

For invitations, boards, tickets, PR descriptions, or workshop notes.

session-brief.md

Session Brief: Barrier Analysis

Goal

Artifact: Barriere-Inventar

Working Question

Which barriers were supposed to prevent the damage, which existed, functioned, and were effective enough, and which are missing or failed?

Context

Incident description with damage and people involved; list of existing protective mechanisms (technical, procedural, organizational); risk assessment of the system; predecessor incidents.

Setup

  • Format: Method session
  • Duration: 2-4 h
  • Mode: Workshop or async
  • Participants: One analyst with RCA experience (lead); one to three domain specialists (plant, process, protection systems); one owner of the controls under review; one sponsor with authority to approve measures.
  • Owner: One analyst with RCA experience (lead)
  • Participation mode: Team round, shared work and alignment
  • Outcome logic: Finish artifact

Participation Logic

Use the session for shared understanding. Contributions are collected visibly, assumptions are aligned, and open differences remain traceable in the artifact.

Outcome Logic

The session works directly toward Barriere-Inventar. After the session, the artifact should be shareable, reviewable, or reusable.

Input

Whiteboard or diagramming tool with a source -> barriers -> target sketch; table with columns for barrier, existent, functional, effective, failure reason, measure; access to procedures, training logs, audit reports, logs.

Preparation

Sketch the source on the left, the target on the right, and barriers as vertical lines in between. Prepare the table. Keep procedures and reports close at hand.

Agenda

  1. Phase 1: Sketch the line of effect (20-30 min) Owner: Facilitator Action: Name the energy or hazard source concretely, for example 'hot hydraulic fluid at 80 C, 30 bar'. Name the target person or target object. Draw the line of effect on the whiteboard. Hint: If the source stays abstract ('risk'), the barrier analysis cannot be carried out. A concrete physical, procedural, or organizational line of effect is mandatory. Output: Barriere-Inventar

  2. Phase 2: Inventory the barriers (30-45 min) Owner: Facilitator Action: List all existing barriers: technical (guards, sensors, emergency shutdown), procedural (approvals, checklists), organizational (training, supervision). Add a short description per barrier. Hint: Frequently only technical barriers are seen. Procedural and organizational barriers are often the first to fail and belong in the list. Output: Versagensanalyse je Barriere

  3. Phase 3: Check existence, function, and effectiveness per barrier (45-90 min) Owner: Facilitator Action: Answer three questions separately for each barrier: Did it exist at the time of the event? Did it function technically? Was it effective enough? Add evidence to each answer. If it failed, document the failure reason. Hint: Mixed judgments ('it was there but not good enough') are a common mistake. Three separate questions create clarity. Failure reason distinguishes technical defect, operating error, and design weakness. Output: Maßnahmen-Backlog

  4. Phase 4: Identify missing barriers (20-30 min) Owner: Facilitator Action: Check each phase of the line of effect: which barrier is missing that could have prevented the event? Reference industry standards, best practices, and audits. Record missing barriers as separate findings. Hint: Missing barriers are easily overlooked because they did not fail, they were simply absent. Search actively with the question 'what should have been there?'. Output: Barriere-Inventar

  5. Phase 5: Derive measures (30-45 min) Owner: Owner Action: For every failure finding, define a measure: repair, replace, strengthen, or add the barrier. Prioritize measures by impact and effort. Assign owner and deadline per measure. Hint: A measure like 'repeat training' is often a weak answer. If the failure reason was a design weakness, training is symptom treatment. Prefer engineered solutions first. Output: Versagensanalyse je Barriere

  6. Publish artifact (10 min) Owner: Owner Action: Check the artifact for completeness, define location, set version or status, and name review recipients. Output: Barriere-Inventar

Closeout

  • Update result artifact: Barriere-Inventar
  • Define location, version, and review recipients.
  • Define owner, next step, and review date.
Usable artifact

Work artifact

Pre-filled starting point based on the matching template.

work-artifact.md

Barriere-Inventar: Barrier Analysis

Working Question

Which barriers were supposed to prevent the damage, which existed, functioned, and were effective enough, and which are missing or failed?

Context

Incident description with damage and people involved; list of existing protective mechanisms (technical, procedural, organizational); risk assessment of the system; predecessor incidents.

Participants

  • Owner: One analyst with RCA experience (lead)
  • Participants: One analyst with RCA experience (lead); one to three domain specialists (plant, process, protection systems); one owner of the controls under review; one sponsor with authority to approve measures.

Input

Whiteboard or diagramming tool with a source -> barriers -> target sketch; table with columns for barrier, existent, functional, effective, failure reason, measure; access to procedures, training logs, audit reports, logs.

Template

Barrier Analysis Working Template

Goal

Analyzes which barriers should have prevented an incident and why they failed.

Context

When and for what do we use this method?

Input

Which data, observations, decisions, or materials are available?

Execution

Short notes along the runsheet.

Output artifacts

  • Barrier inventory:
  • Failure analysis by barrier:
  • Action backlog:

Assumptions and open questions

  • ...

Decision / next step

Owner, date, and success signal.

Completion Check

  • Barriere-Inventar is complete enough for review:
  • Location:
  • Version / status:
  • Review by:
  • Next step:

Next Step

  • Review result
  • Mark open questions
  • Schedule review or decision
Template base

Barrier Analysis Working Template

View templateCompact working template for Barrier Analysis with context, input, output artifacts, and next step.
markdown

barrier-analysis-working-template.md

Compact working template for Barrier Analysis with context, input, output artifacts, and next step.

Barrier Analysis Working Template

Goal

Analyzes which barriers should have prevented an incident and why they failed.

Context

When and for what do we use this method?

Input

Which data, observations, decisions, or materials are available?

Execution

Short notes along the runsheet.

Output artifacts

  • Barrier inventory:
  • Failure analysis by barrier:
  • Action backlog:

Assumptions and open questions

  • ...

Decision / next step

Owner, date, and success signal.

Ready to use when
  • Working question, owner, and target artifact are visible.
  • The result fits Barriere-Inventar.
  • Date, incident ID, and investigator in the header. Add a new status column for each measure iteration (open, in progress, done). For follow-up incidents, reference the previous analysis.
  • Open questions are noted as follow-ups.
  • The next review or decision point is scheduled.
ProfileRunsheet