What is Bow-Tie?

A Bow-Tie diagram, also known as a barrier diagram, is a risk assessment and risk management methodology used to analyze and visualize cause-and-effect relationships. It combines elements of fault tree analysis (FTA) and event tree analysis (ETA). It's commonly used to identify potential hazards, their causes, the preventative and mitigating controls in place, and the potential consequences if those controls fail. They're frequently employed in high-hazard industries like oil & gas, aviation, and healthcare to improve safety and reduce risk. It provides a visual representation of a risk scenario, showing how a hazard leads to consequences and the barriers that prevent or mitigate those consequences. The shape of the diagram resembles a bow-tie, hence the name.