Root causes of operational risk are always located in which of the following?

• A. Human factors
• B. Equipment maintenance
• C. Regulatory compliance
• D. Quality Management System (QMS)

Answer: (D)

Operational risk comes from how work is designed, performed, and improved. The system that governs all of that—the Quality Management System—provides the framework with documented processes, responsibilities, training, records, and feedback loops needed to identify and fix the underlying causes of failures. A strong QMS guides incident reporting, root-cause analysis, and corrective/preventive actions, so the true origins of problems are found and addressed within this system. While factors like human performance, equipment upkeep, or regulatory requirements can contribute to risk, they are aspects that the QMS manages and integrates. Focusing on the quality system ensures a systematic approach to uncovering and eliminating root causes, rather than chasing symptoms in isolation.