Following a radiological incident, what is the purpose of a post-incident review?

• A. To assign blame.
• B. To delay corrective actions.
• C. To reduce safety culture.
• D. To identify root causes and preventive actions.

Answer: (D)

After a radiological incident, the purpose of a post-incident review is to learn from what happened by analyzing the events, contributing factors, and system weaknesses to prevent recurrence. The best answer focuses on identifying root causes and preventive actions. This means looking beyond individual mistakes to understand underlying processes, equipment issues, procedures, training, communication, and safety culture that allowed the incident to occur. By uncovering root causes, the review guides corrective and preventive actions—such as updating procedures, reinforcing training, adjusting workflows, or improving maintenance—so similar events are less likely in the future. A non-punitive, learning-focused approach is essential, because it encourages honest reporting and thorough analysis, which strengthens overall safety.

Options that assign blame, delay corrective actions, or undermine safety culture do not support effective learning or prevention and would hinder future safety improvements.