About us
About BARC – Beyond a Root Cause
BARC Safety, which stands for Beyond a Root Cause, is a consulting firm dedicated to advancing safety, security, and organizational resilience through operational learning and continuous improvement. Founded by Kenneth Cummins, a recognized public safety, operations, and security management expert, BARC draws upon over 30 years of experience across multiple sectors, including public transportation, aerospace, and military service.
BARC Safety is a Service Disabled Veteran Owned Business (SDVOB)
Our approach
At BARC, we believe in looking beyond immediate root causes to uncover the conditions that influence decision-making and sense-making in real-time. As James Reason observed, “You cannot change the human condition; you can only change the conditions under which humans work.” This principle drives our mission to help organizations move away from simplistic explanations like “human error” and toward a deeper understanding of the systemic factors that shape outcomes. Our logo—a tree with deep, interconnected roots—reflects this commitment to uncovering the foundational elements of safety and security challenges.
BARC offers a balanced portfolio of safety and security services tailored to meet the complex needs of modern organizations. Our expertise includes conducting thorough risk assessments, facilitating post-incident learning reviews, and developing or re-imagining safety and security programs to align with evolving challenges. Whether you’re evaluating the feasibility of in-house security operations, preparing for large-scale events, or seeking to enhance organizational resilience, BARC provides actionable insights and innovative solutions to protect your people, assets, and reputation.
At BARC, we recognize that labeling outcomes as the result of “human error” oversimplifies the complexities of organizational life. We work with clients to identify the latent, error-inducing conditions within their culture and operational environments. By examining work as it is genuinely performed—rather than how it is imagined—we help organizations develop meaningful solutions that address the real-world challenges their teams face every day.Through this approach, BARC fosters genuine curiosity over certainty, helping leaders and frontline workers develop greater awareness of safety margins within their operations. We equip teams with the skills to recognize when these margins are thinning and empower leadership to evaluate the pressures