Report Writing & Case Documentation Flashcards
7 cards from real CMI practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Report Writing & Case Documentation flashcards as text
When a marine investigator uses a 'fault tree analysis' in their report, they are:
Answer: Graphically mapping how multiple contributing factors combined to cause an incident
A fault tree analysis is a top-down graphical tool that identifies all possible causes and their logical relationships that contributed to an undesired event.
Under the IMO Casualty Investigation Code (Res. MSC.255(84)), investigations are intended to:
Answer: Identify safety issues and prevent recurrence, not to apportion blame or liability
The IMO Casualty Investigation Code states that investigations aim to improve maritime safety and prevent future casualties, not to assign blame or liability.
In documenting a grounding incident, which datum is most critical for accurately plotting the casualty position?
Answer: The GPS coordinate referenced to a specific chart datum such as WGS-84
GPS coordinates must reference a specific geodetic datum like WGS-84 to ensure positional accuracy when compared to nautical charts used in the investigation.
A CMI should include a 'safety recommendation' in their report when:
Answer: The investigation identifies a systemic safety issue that could prevent future casualties
Safety recommendations are issued when the investigation reveals systemic issues, procedural deficiencies, or regulatory gaps that could cause future casualties if unaddressed.
The 'proximate cause' in a marine casualty report refers to:
Answer: The immediate, direct cause that set the casualty in motion without which it would not have occurred
The proximate cause is the direct, immediate act or condition that triggered the casualty, distinguishing it from more remote contributing or root causes.
When a CMI documents a 'near miss' incident, the primary value of this documentation is:
Answer: To identify hazardous conditions before a serious casualty occurs
Near-miss documentation captures valuable safety data about hazardous conditions and systemic weaknesses before they escalate into actual casualties.
In a marine investigation report, a 'causal factor' differs from a 'root cause' in that:
Answer: A causal factor contributed to the incident while the root cause is the fundamental systemic deficiency that allowed it
Causal factors are conditions or actions that contributed to the incident, while the root cause is the deepest systemic deficiency whose elimination would prevent recurrence.