CMSP CMSP Accident Investigation & Analysis 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which accident investigation method uses a top-down logic diagram with AND/OR gates to show combinations of failures that can lead to an undesired event?
- MORT analysis
- Fault tree analysis (Correct answer)
- Bow-tie analysis
- STAMP method
Correct answer: Fault tree analysis
Fault tree analysis uses a deductive, top-down diagram with AND/OR logic gates to map all pathways of failures that can cause a specific undesired event.
Question 2: The Management Oversight and Risk Tree (MORT) analysis methodology was originally developed for use in which industry?
- Coal mining
- Chemical processing
- Nuclear energy (Correct answer)
- Aerospace
Correct answer: Nuclear energy
MORT was developed by the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission and later adapted for use across multiple industries, including mining.
Question 3: The '5 Whys' accident investigation technique is designed to identify:
- The five major hazard categories in mining
- Root causes by iteratively asking why each causal factor occurred (Correct answer)
- The minimum number of witnesses needed for a valid investigation
- Regulatory violations associated with the event
Correct answer: Root causes by iteratively asking why each causal factor occurred
The 5 Whys method drills through successive causal layers by treating each answer as the subject of the next 'why' question until a root cause is reached.
Question 4: When investigators arrive at a mine accident scene, what should be the FIRST priority?
- Immediately interview available witnesses
- Preserve and document the scene before anything is disturbed (Correct answer)
- Begin cleanup and restore operations
- Notify the company's insurance carrier
Correct answer: Preserve and document the scene before anything is disturbed
Scene preservation through photography, measurements, and detailed documentation must occur before any evidence is moved or conditions change.
Question 5: A 'near-miss' incident in mine safety is best defined as:
- An accident that results in only minor injuries
- An unplanned event with injury potential that did not result in harm or property damage (Correct answer)
- A regulatory violation with no immediate consequences
- A hazard identified during a routine MSHA inspection
Correct answer: An unplanned event with injury potential that did not result in harm or property damage
Near-miss events reveal system weaknesses that could lead to serious injury and are valuable learning opportunities because no harm actually occurred.
Question 6: Which investigation tool uses a visual diagram resembling a fish skeleton to organize potential causes of an accident into major categories?
- Pareto analysis
- Ishikawa (fishbone) diagram (Correct answer)
- Failure Mode and Effects Analysis
- Event tree analysis
Correct answer: Ishikawa (fishbone) diagram
The Ishikawa diagram organizes potential causes into categories such as people, equipment, environment, and methods, branching from a central problem 'spine.'
CMSP CMSP Accident Investigation & Analysis 1
Which accident investigation method uses a top-down logic diagram with AND/OR gates to show combinations of failures that can lead to an undesired event?