This page lists practical D3 containment examples by location, the fields each one needs, how to define a break point, and how to show that containment is effective. Follow your customer’s template and CSRs; some forms call D3 “interim containment action (ICA)” or “immediate actions.”
What containment is (and isn’t)
Containment protects the customer while you find and fix the root cause. It is temporary, it stops suspect product from moving, and it has a planned end tied to a verified permanent action.
- Is: hold and quarantine, sorting, controlled rework, added inspection, supply from verified stock.
- Isn’t: a root cause, a permanent corrective action, “operators informed,” or a promise without quantities.
Location checklist
Cover every place suspect product can be. If a location is not affected, say so and why (for example, “no shipments to plant B since date code 2830”).
| Location | What to state |
|---|---|
| Line / WIP | Quantity held at each station, status tag, who may release it |
| Finished goods warehouse | Lots or date codes blocked, quantity, system block (ERP / WMS) |
| In transit | Shipments and delivery note numbers, intercepted or sorted on arrival |
| Customer site | Stock at the customer plant or warehouse, who sorts it, results |
| Other sites and service stock | Sister plants, spare parts, other customers using the same part |
| Sub-supplier material | Incoming stock on hold if the cause may come from purchased parts |
Example actions with fields to fill
Example wording below is fictional. Replace part numbers, quantities, and dates with your own records.
Quarantine / hold
“All finished goods of part 4711-A in warehouse W1 placed on QA hold and blocked in ERP on 14 Oct, 07:30. 1,240 pcs, date codes 2841–2843.”
Fields: Date/time, location, quantity, lot or date codes, owner
100% sort with a defined method
“100% visual and go/no-go gauge check of clip position using boundary samples BS-12. 1,240 pcs checked, 9 pcs NOK, NOK parts segregated in red bin.”
Fields: Method, criterion, gauge, quantity checked, quantity NOK, who sorted
In-transit intercept
“Two shipments (DN 55102, DN 55107) intercepted at the logistics hub and sorted with the same method before delivery.”
Fields: Shipment IDs, quantities, sort result per shipment
Customer-site sort
“Third-party sort at customer plant started 14 Oct, 14:00: 3,600 pcs checked, 4 pcs NOK; daily result report to customer SQE.”
Fields: Who sorts, scope, quantities, reporting frequency, end condition
Added inspection at the line
“Additional 100% clip-presence check at station 40 by team leader, recorded per shift on check sheet CS-40, until D5 action is verified.”
Fields: Check, frequency, record, planned end tied to D5/D6
Marking of clean parts
“Sorted and new-production boxes marked with a green dot on the label so the customer can tell checked stock from suspect stock.”
Fields: Marking method, where applied, from which lot or date code
Drafted D3? Check whether every location has quantities and a method before you send — free Accept / Conditional / Reject advisory with the gaps named.
8D Gate is a free pre-send readiness advisory. It doesn't replace the customer's decision. We don't store your 8D body in our database; you can delete anytime. Anthropic processes the text for the review.
Break point / clean point
The break point (often called the clean point) is the first lot, date code, serial number, or production time from which product is known to be good because containment or a fix is in place. The customer uses it to decide which stock is safe to use.
- State it as an identifiable value — lot, date code, serial, or shift and time — not “from now on.”
- Explain how parts after the break point are identified (label, marking, separate packaging).
- Say what evidence shows product from that point is good: sort results, added check records, or first-off approval after the fix.
- Update D3 if the break point moves.
Effectiveness of containment
Containment is effective when suspect product stops reaching the customer. Show that with evidence, not a status word:
- Quantity checked and quantity NOK at each location.
- Proof that the sort method can detect the defect: boundary samples, a suitable gauge, or a challenge with known bad parts.
- No further complaints from material after the break point over a defined period.
- Records of the added line check, shift by shift.
If a sort finds zero defects where defects are expected, question the method first.
Don’t call containment the permanent action
Sorting and added inspection depend on people. They protect the customer while D4 and D5 are done. In D5, permanent actions change the process or the detection that allowed the defect — see escape point in 8D and how to write D4 root cause. In D6, show that the permanent action works before you remove containment, and record when it ended and on what evidence. For a side-by-side comparison, see 8D corrective action vs containment.
Get the free 8D / D4 checklist
A one-page pre-send checklist for D1–D8, including containment coverage across all locations and quantified sort results.
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Pre-send check with 8D Gate
Before you send, a second skeptical read helps catch containment with no quantities, missing locations, or no break point.
Paste text or upload PDF, DOCX, or Excel. You get an Accept / Conditional / Reject advisory, a score, section ratings, missing evidence, and questions to close gaps, with a PDF download. It is a pre-send readiness check for your team, not a customer decision.
8D Gate is a free pre-send readiness advisory. It doesn't replace the customer's decision. We don't store your 8D body in our database; you can delete anytime. Anthropic processes the text for the review.
FAQ
- How fast should containment start?
- Many customer requirements set a short deadline for initial containment, usually measured in hours rather than days. Follow your customer’s CSR and record the start date and time for each location.
- Do we report the sort if nothing was found?
- Yes. Report quantity checked and quantity NOK for every location, including zero. A zero result also needs a sort method shown to detect the defect.
- When can containment be removed?
- After permanent corrective actions are implemented and verified in D6, with the evidence stated, and with customer agreement where the CSR requires it.