Immediate Causes Immediate causes are the circumstances that immediately preceded the event and can usually be seen or sensed. For example, if the incident is an oil spill, the immediate cause could be a break in the sealing. See Also Basic Causes Basic causes are the real causes behind the immediate causes: the reasons why the substandard acts and condition occurred. In the case of an oil spill caused by a broken seal, the basic causes could be that the wrong type of sealing was used, the sealing had a design flaw, or it might have been installed incorrectly. See Also Lack of Control Lack of control means insufficient oversight of the activities from design to planning to operation. Control is achieved through standards and procedures for operation, maintenance, and acquisition. If an oil spill occurred because of the incorrect installation of sealing, the lack of control cause could be related to inadequate procedures for checking after maintenance. See Also
