CMI Marine Accident Investigation Procedures 4 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: When documenting a casualty scene aboard a vessel, which photographic practice is considered best evidence procedure?
- Taking wide-angle overview shots only to capture the full scene
- Photographing from general overview to close-up detail with a scale reference in each frame (Correct answer)
- Using a smartphone camera for speed and automatic geo-tagging
- Waiting until daylight to ensure photograph quality
Correct answer: Photographing from general overview to close-up detail with a scale reference in each frame
Best evidence photography proceeds from wide establishing shots to close-up details, always including a scale reference, to provide both context and precise dimensional information.
Question 2: In conducting a 'fault tree analysis' (FTA) of a marine accident, the top event represents:
- The first causal event that initiated the sequence
- The undesired outcome (the accident) from which the investigator reasons backward (Correct answer)
- The most responsible party identified in the investigation
- The most recent corrective action recommended
Correct answer: The undesired outcome (the accident) from which the investigator reasons backward
In FTA, the top event is the accident itself, and the analysis works backward (deductively) through AND/OR logic gates to identify causal combinations.
Question 3: A marine casualty investigator determines that a collision occurred partly because the watch officer suffered from acute fatigue. Under which analytical framework would 'inadequate rest period scheduling' be identified as a latent condition?
- Barrier analysis
- James Reason's Swiss Cheese Model (Correct answer)
- FMEA (Failure Mode and Effects Analysis)
- Haddon Matrix
Correct answer: James Reason's Swiss Cheese Model
James Reason's Swiss Cheese Model classifies inadequate organizational policies (like insufficient rest scheduling) as latent conditions — hidden failures lurking in the system before they align to produce an accident.
Question 4: Which criterion determines whether a marine casualty must be reported to the U.S. Coast Guard under 46 CFR 4.05-1?
- The casualty results in any injury to a crew member
- The casualty results in a death, injury requiring medical treatment beyond first aid, loss of the vessel, or material damage exceeding $25,000 (Correct answer)
- The casualty involves any vessel over 100 gross tons
- The casualty occurs in U.S. navigable waters regardless of outcome
Correct answer: The casualty results in a death, injury requiring medical treatment beyond first aid, loss of the vessel, or material damage exceeding $25,000
46 CFR 4.05-1 mandates reporting when a casualty causes a death, injury requiring beyond first-aid treatment, loss of vessel, or property damage exceeding $25,000.
Question 5: During a stability-related casualty investigation, which document is most critical for reconstructing the vessel's stability condition at the time of the accident?
- The vessel's Certificate of Inspection
- The loading computer printout or stability booklet with actual departure/arrival loading conditions (Correct answer)
- The ship's Safety Management System manual
- The port state control inspection report
Correct answer: The loading computer printout or stability booklet with actual departure/arrival loading conditions
The actual loading data from the stability booklet or loading computer provides the righting arm and metacentric height values needed to reconstruct the vessel's stability at the time of the casualty.
Question 6: What is the key distinction between a 'safety investigation' and a 'legal/enforcement investigation' in the context of U.S. marine casualties?
- Safety investigations are conducted only by insurance surveyors
- Safety investigations aim to prevent recurrence without assigning blame, while legal investigations seek to establish liability or culpability (Correct answer)
- Legal investigations are mandatory for all casualties; safety investigations are optional
- Safety investigations are conducted after legal proceedings are concluded
Correct answer: Safety investigations aim to prevent recurrence without assigning blame, while legal investigations seek to establish liability or culpability
Safety investigations focus on identifying systemic causes and issuing preventive recommendations, whereas legal/enforcement investigations determine fault, liability, or criminal culpability.
Question 7: Under the ISM Code, which document provides the foundational framework that a vessel's Safety Management System must follow, and is directly referenced when assessing SMS failures during a marine accident investigation?
- SOLAS Chapter II-2
- ISM Code (International Safety Management Code), adopted under SOLAS Chapter IX (Correct answer)
- MARPOL Annex I
- STCW Convention Chapter VIII
Correct answer: ISM Code (International Safety Management Code), adopted under SOLAS Chapter IX
The ISM Code, incorporated into SOLAS Chapter IX, requires companies to develop, implement, and maintain a Safety Management System; its requirements become the standard against which SMS failures are measured in investigations.
CMI Marine Accident Investigation Procedures 4
When documenting a casualty scene aboard a vessel, which photographic practice is considered best evidence procedure?