Corrective Action
A corrective action is a specific measure taken to eliminate the root cause of an identified nonconformity, hazard, or incident to prevent its recurrence.
What Is a Corrective Action?
A corrective action addresses the underlying cause of a problem - as identified through root cause analysis - to prevent it from happening again. It is distinct from a "correction" (which merely fixes the immediate issue) and from a "preventive action" (which addresses potential problems before they occur).
The Corrective Action Process
- Identify: A nonconformity, hazard, or incident triggers the process.
- Investigate: Conduct RCA to determine the root cause.
- Plan: Define specific corrective measures, assign responsible persons and set deadlines.
- Implement: Execute the planned actions.
- Verify: Confirm the action was completed and effective.
- Close: Document the outcome and close the action item.
Tracking Effectiveness
A corrective action is only successful if it actually prevents recurrence. Follow-up verification (30, 60, or 90 days post-implementation) is essential to confirm effectiveness.
Digital Corrective Action Tracking
Make Safety Easy automates the full corrective action lifecycle: creation from inspections or incidents, assignment with due dates, email/push reminders, verification workflows and reporting on open vs. closed actions.