Version 1.0
Terms of Service
Effective date: May 5, 2026. By creating an account or using RootCause Simulator ("the Service"), you agree to these terms. If you do not agree, do not use the Service.
1. Service Description
RootCause Simulator is an educational platform for learning and practicing root cause analysis using the Human Factors Analysis and Classification System (HFACS) 8.0 framework. The Service provides interactive training modules, scenario simulation tools, AI-assisted feedback on practice narratives, and completion records for personal professional development.
Independent Platform — No Affiliation Disclaimer
RootCause Simulator is an independent educational product. We are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or acting on behalf of HFACS, Inc., or any other private organization that provides official HFACS workshops, instructor certification, or licensed training programs. We are also not affiliated with the U.S. Department of Defense, the U.S. Air Force Safety Center, or any government agency. The HFACS name and framework are used here solely for educational reference under fair use. Completion records issued by this platform are not equivalent to certification from HFACS, Inc. or any other official HFACS training provider.
2. Eligibility
You must be at least 18 years old to create an account. By registering, you confirm that the information you provide is accurate and that you have the legal authority to agree to these terms. Accounts created on behalf of an organisation require authorisation from that organisation.
3. Training Use Only — Not a Substitute for Official Processes
Important limitation
This platform is for training and professional development purposes only. Outputs from the Service — scenario analyses, generated reports, AI feedback, or completion certificates — are not official safety investigation findings, do not constitute formal incident reports, and must not be submitted as such to any regulatory authority, employer, or legal proceeding.
You are solely responsible for ensuring that any real incident investigations are conducted through appropriate official channels, qualified investigators, and applicable regulations.
4. Prohibited Uses
You must not use the Service to:
- Enter real names, personally identifiable information, or identifying details about real individuals involved in actual incidents.
- Submit confidential, classified, or proprietary incident data — whether your employer's, a government agency's, or a third party's.
- Attempt to extract, reverse-engineer, or reproduce the DoD HFACS taxonomy for redistribution in competing products.
- Circumvent authentication, access controls, or rate limits, or probe the platform for security vulnerabilities without prior written permission.
- Automate account creation, scrape content at scale, or use the Service in ways that degrade performance for other users.
- Use AI-generated feedback outputs to misrepresent your qualifications or certifications to any third party.
5. Intellectual Property
DoD HFACS 8.0 Framework: The HFACS taxonomy, categories, and framework guidance are published by the U.S. Air Force Safety Center and the U.S. Department of War (formerly the Department of Defense). This content is incorporated into the Service for educational purposes under fair use principles. We make no claim of ownership over the HFACS framework itself.
Platform content: The training modules, question content, coaching logic, interface design, and all other original content created by us are proprietary. You may not reproduce, distribute, or create derivative works from platform content without our written consent.
Your content: Scenario narratives and practice submissions you create remain yours. You grant us a limited licence to store and process that content solely to provide the Service to you (including AI analysis). You represent that your submissions do not contain confidential information or infringe third-party rights.
6. Completion Records and Certificates
The Service may issue completion records or certificates upon verified completion of curriculum requirements. These records are intended for personal professional development and portfolio use. They do not constitute formal certification by any government agency, professional body, or standards organisation, and we make no warranty that they will be accepted by any employer, regulator, or accrediting body.
7. AI-Assisted Feedback
The AI feedback feature uses OpenAI language models to analyse practice narratives. AI feedback is generated automatically and may contain errors, omissions, or imprecise characterisations. It is a learning aid, not a definitive assessment. Do not rely on AI feedback as the sole basis for real-world safety decisions.
By using the AI feedback feature, you consent to the transmission of your practice narrative text to OpenAI's API for processing. We do not retain the raw text sent to OpenAI beyond the duration of the request. See the Privacy Policy for full details.
8. Account Termination
You may delete your account at any time via the Settings page. We may suspend or terminate your account if you violate these terms, engage in abuse of the platform, or if we are required to do so by law. Upon termination, your personal data will be handled as described in the Privacy Policy.
9. Disclaimer of Warranties
The Service is provided "as is" without warranties of any kind — express, implied, or statutory — including warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, or non-infringement. We do not warrant that the Service will be uninterrupted, error-free, or that any content is accurate or complete.
10. Limitation of Liability
To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, we shall not be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages arising from your use of the Service, including any reliance on training outputs in real-world safety contexts. Our aggregate liability to you shall not exceed the total fees paid by you in the twelve months preceding the claim.
11. Governing Law
These terms are governed by the laws of the jurisdiction in which we are incorporated, without regard to conflict of law principles. Any disputes shall be resolved through binding arbitration except where prohibited by applicable law.
12. Changes to These Terms
We may update these terms from time to time. We will notify you of material changes by updating the version number and effective date. Continued use of the Service after the effective date constitutes your acceptance of the revised terms.
13. Contact
Questions about these terms: RootCauseSim@gmail.com