What does the Fault Tree Analysis (FTA) methodology focus on?

Fault Tree Analysis (FTA) is a systematic, deductive failure analysis method that is used to identify the various combinations of hardware and software failures, human errors, and external events that can lead to undesirable events, such as system failure. The primary focus of FTA is to trace the pathways that might lead to a specific failure scenario by mapping out potential fault events in a logical diagram. This approach allows analysts to visualize the interrelationships among different failure causes and understand how they contribute to a system-wide failure.

The methodology employs a top-down approach, starting from the undesired event and working backward to uncover the underlying causes. By identifying these contributing factors, organizations can prioritize risk mitigation efforts and develop strategies to enhance system reliability and safety. This makes tracing events that lead to system failure the central tenet of Fault Tree Analysis, highlighting its importance in safety engineering and risk management contexts.