A Nautical Institute project A communicative Survival Kit Effective Communication Pages 4-5

sponsored by Lloyd’s Page 3

Register

The Nautical Institute

The International
Maritime
Human Element Bulletin
Issue No. 14 May 2007

ISSN 1747-5015

Effective communication
The key to successful operations
he ability to properly convey
Modern communications are sup- and correctly reacting to people,
T
information by word of mouth
and/or by written communication is posed to make life easier for all. incidences or situations that are
important not only to the safety of Some ship’s bridges serve as the open to misunderstanding due to
ships’ crews, visitors and passengers, communications hub, where can be cultural differences. It is about
but also to the wellbeing of crews. found not only the communications empowerment, inclusion, leadership
fit in accordance with SOLAS, but and teamwork.
It would seem that the standard of also fax machines, desktop
English of some seafarers is so bad computers, and mobile telephones. Effective communication therefore,
that they have difficulty All these systems of course make is the key to the successful
communicating not only between communication easier, but they can operation of any ship.
themselves but also with agencies also have an effect on the safe
outside the ship. operation of the ship. How many
ship operators have thought to To register for either an electronic or paper copy of the
The aim of the IMO Standard We seek to represent the views of all sectors of the mar
Marine Communication Phrases ensure that restrictions are placed
The Editor
(SMCP) is to get round the problem on the use of mobile telephones and
Alert!
of language barriers at sea and desktop computers on the bridge? The International Maritime Human Element Bulletin
avoid those misunderstandings But, Communication is not just 202 Lambeth Road London SE1 7LQ United Kingdo
which can cause accidents. But, is about talking, reading, writing,
it used at sea? procedures etc. It is about
The key to improved verbal com- exchanging ideas, information and
munication is in the recruitment of knowledge between individuals, and
seafarers who have an understanding between crew and management
of the English language; in ashore. It is about the provision of
education in the art of effective telephone communic- ations and
communication and in the correct email and internet facilities to enable
use of the English language in the crew to keep in touch with their
maritime environ- ment; and in a families.
programme of regular testing in It is about the dissemination of
their knowledge of the English information through professional
language. journals, company newsletters and
Today there seems to be more noticeboard bulletins to inform the
paperwork than ever, in the form of crew of important issues that have
e-mails, questionnaires, procedures an effect on their professional
and checklists. How many of us life, health, safety and welfare. It is
have stopped to consider whether about recognising, interpreting
the e- mail that we have just sent to
about 50 addressees was actually
relevant to all of them?
Perhaps the questionnaires and
checklists are necessary, but do we
need so many? Checklists are not
foolproof; if properly used, they can
be of considerable assistance as
an aide-memoir for ensuring that
nothing has been forgotten when
carrying out, for example, a safety
critical procedure. But, they can
lead to a ‘tick in the box’ culture
w: that, in turn, can breed
complacency.
e:
2 The quality of shipboard documentation
John Kenny, Worldwide Marine Technology Ltd

hilst many equipment manufac- user – there is a need to stand in the documentation will be slashed, as it is
W turers do a great job of providing
operating and maintenance manuals, a
shoes of the user to see what it is that
they will be seeking to get out of the
the easiest and sometimes only option.
Furthermore, a good, marine technical
large percentage are still getting away documentation and how to explain it in translation service can cost a lot of
with substandard documentation. the simplest terms. money and can exceed the cost of
What are the most common putting the original documentation
• Poorly published documents – in together!
deficiencies with vendor clarity of layout, order, use of
documentation? In our experience they illustrations, and Unless ALL the concerned parties truly
fall into the following categories: final printing and assembly. appreciate the issues involved in putting
• Poorly written in the first place good manuals together and then
• Poor translation – some text can be
– authored by people familiar with the pure nonsense because of a heavy accept the real costs associated with
detailed production of the equipment, reliance on the process, then the overall quality of
but who lack the skills and knowledge computer translation. equipment documentation in the
of an experienced technical author, or industry will not improve.
However, costs to the yard or owner
the relevant marine engineering
can also impact on the quality of the Many shipowners now realise that a
practice.
manuals. For example: many yards or procedure-based set of ship system
• Use of generic content – from the owners do not view documentation as operatingmanualsproducedbyaspecialist
vendor’s point of view, all the relevant having any associated cost. The company and kept updated are a
information is contained within and number of model variants and valuable asset over the lifetime of a
they will have met their obligation. For configurations required by the customer vessel. As well as providing essential
the end user it can be difficult to work means that there must be allowance for familiarisation and guidance for the safe
out which bits of the documentation the extra documentation costs if the operation of a ship’s equipment and
apply to the equipment actually fitted to details are to be specific to the systems, these types of manuals are
the vessel. equipment fitted. very effective tools in assisting
• Failure to relate to needs of the end When forced to find ways to cut communications on a multi- national
costs, time allocated to producing the crewed vessel.

Culture and communication

or the loneliness of a modern ship’s master
Captain Fraser Betts, Training Director, Wallem Maritime Training Centre, Qingdao

Printing by: Indigo Press +44 (0)23 8023 1196 hinese culture has developed over many

The International Maritime C

Web site by & cartoons by: NewsLink Services
(India Office) +91-9811649064
thousands of years but more recently has been
mainly influenced by large state run
Human Element Bulletin
organisations operating within a strongly
Editor: David Squire, FNI socialist society. Communication was
discouraged unless strictly censored and
Published by the Nautical Institute, the
communication with the outside world was rare.
world’s leading international professional
body for qualified mariners
Even in the maritime world, all communication
was
www.nautinst.org vetted by a third party.
Membership info: sec@nautinst.org
Today, maritime communication needs have
changed as China has leapt into international
The opinions expressed herein are those of the
editor or contributors and do not necessarily business; however the internal culture has been
represent the views of The Nautical Institute or slow to adapt and change to meet those needs.
Lloyd’s Register.
Masters are now expected to communic- ate with
The Nautical Institute and Lloyd's Register, their
affiliates and subsidiaries and their respective a myriad of organisations from the Company to
officers, employees or agents are, individually and charterers all the while looking over their
collectively, referred to as 'The Nautical Institute
and Lloyd's Register'. The Nautical Institute and shoulders at their ‘employer’, the crewing agency
Lloyd's Register assume no responsibility and who still retains an inexorable hold over them.
shall not be liable to any person for any loss,
damage or expense caused by reliance on the
This conflict sometimes brings strange results.
information or advice in this Bulletin or howsoever The master is confused about his position in the
provided, unless that person has signed a overall scheme of things and can sometimes
contract with an entity from The Nautical Institute
and Lloyd's Register for the provision of this overreact. This can lead to strange
information or advice and in that case any communications to one or other of those
responsibility or liability is exclusively on the
terms and conditions set out in that contract.
organizations. In some extreme cases the
master may feel he
Design & artwork production by:
Jacamar (UK) Ltd +44 (0)23
92410108
is being railroaded into
making difficult commercial
decisions and reacts by
sending messages designed
to shock or offend as the only
defence he knows.
These may be extreme cases
but they indicate the mental
anguish some people feel
when communicating with
people from different
(business) cultures. The
reasons for these reactions
may be rooted elsewhere but
the resulting frustration
sometimes comes through in
the many, and varied,
messages a master has to
send. It is now his only
release mechanism or safety
valve as he person- ally feels
more and more isolated and
takes to the keyboard to
express his feelings.
Ultimately the solution is to
improve understanding of
English both spoken and
written.
The situation will be different
in the coming years as
considerable efforts are put
into improving skills not only
in English but other important
areas of Chinese seafarer
training. Effective
management, an improved
safety culture and
commercial awareness
together will lead to better
communication.
 The IMO Standard Marine Communication
3
Phrases - a communicative Survival Kit
Professor Peter
Trenkner and multi-ethnic officer staffs occasionally use of the SMCP, officers will definitely
Principal author fail to communicate effectively when encounter less communication
IMO SMCP managing panicking crowds on board difficulties managing safety-related
distressed vessels, etc. situations, performing navigational
duties, and organ- ising or supervising
nvestigations into the human factor More than 86% of all SOLAS vessels
I
regarding disasters at sea, which focused
on communication behaviour, revealed
are presently crewed with multilingual
personnel who, for diverse reasons, are
cargo operations.
The SMCP have been available since 2001.
that one third of accidents happen frequently unable to render the It is therefore understandable that only
primarily due to insufficient command of Maritime English skills required, risking those generations of officers having
Maritime English. and even causing damage to lives, graduated after 2001 are familiar with
property and the environment. them, and they do not represent the
In VTS (Vessel Traffic Service)
This eventually made IMO re-consider majority of active officers yet.
controlled areas, for instance,
communicatively relevant factors how to minimize Maritime English However, IMO strongly recommends using
contribute up to 40% of collisions communication problems. In 2001, the SMCP in preference to other
involving the human element; most of IMO adopted the Standard Marine wordings; in this way combined with an
Communication Phrases (SMCP) and via
them caused by failures in radio efficient system of instruction they will
STCW95 they became a mandatory
communication even in routine become an efficient safety language. At
part of the education of officers at all
conversations, but some also through the annual International Maritime English
white- listed training institutions.
face- to-face communication Conferences, for instance, a frequent
deficiencies. The phrases provide a sort of Survival topic of discussion is the methodology
Kit; they include all essential safety- of designing tasks for teaching the
Port State Control inspectors often
related communicative events where phrases in real-life situational contexts.
encounter problems in getting
spoken English is required. Being This assists teachers how to draw
elementary information from ships'
trained in the maximum profit from the SMCP to the
officers due to their substandard English.
benefit of future officers.
Pilots frequently voice their concern in
this respect too

Whose culture? The impact of language

and culture on safety and compliance at sea
Catherine Logie
Manager given to learning terminology) - opportunities for Maritime English trainers to
Marlins
update their knowledge of both subject content and
methodology
uccessful teamwork depends on
S good communication:
misunderstandings are often attributed
Seafarers may therefore graduate with an excellent
(passive) knowledge of Maritime English but without
to difficulties communicating in a the practical (active) ability to use the language
common language. However, culture is confidently and fluently in routine and emergency
also a contributing factor and has a situations.
significant impact on These issues are being tackled directly by IMO,
compliance, safety and performance. supported by the International Maritime Training
Problems with language competence may Trust, through the delivery of IMO's Maritime
stem from the status of English in Instructor Training Course (MEITC) internationally,
seafarers' home countries and the a two-week course to upgrade the knowledge and
education systems. Some widespread teaching practice of Maritime English trainers.
issues in the provision of Maritime Employers have also come to recognise the need
English training at academies include to conduct English language assessment, including
the lack of: spoken English testing at the recruitment stage.
- time allocated to Maritime English By implementing English language testing policies
- up-to-date resources integrating which set out competence
Mari- time English content with the
Commun- icative Approach to language
learning
- time to develop practical skills of
listening and speaking (with priority
is required. accents; and the impact of a typical mixed nationality crew, the root
culture on communication. causes of misunderstandings become
The choice of English language
clear. By extending the model to
training is critical: as the Specialist training in cultural
corporate cultures with their emphasis
majority of seafarers now work awareness is also available
on safety and compliance, we can
in mixed nationality crews, separately and helps raise
anticipate when and why deficiencies
effective English language awareness of how and why
may occur on board.
training should focus on cultures differ.
developing spoken fluency; The aim of cultural training is to develop
National cultures have been
understanding English spoken strategies for predicting, understanding
defined in five dimensions:
with a range of international and resolving miscommunications. As
when you apply this model to
the
- exam systems evaluating spoken levels by rank, companies can set their world continues to shrink in the search
competence own standards for global recruitment for both sea and shore staff, language
and training. Where language skills are and communication skills training are
- a standardised qualification for
lacking, assessment enables employers essential tools to support effective
Maritime English trainers
to identify where further language teamwork and a culture of safety.
training
4
The alphabet of effective communication

A larm System
Management
Alarms can be distracting, can
Effective Jand
ournals, Newsletters
Bulletins
communication
cause confusion and be ignored by The successful transmission of Professional journals, company
those who are not aware of their information through a common newsletters and noticeboard bulletins
sources and implications. Careful system of symbols, signs, behaviour, inform the crew of important issues that
design and management of alarm speech, writing, or signals, by physical, have an effect on their professional life,
systems is required. mechanical or electronic means. health, safety and welfare.

Keeping in touch
Telephone communications, and email
and internet facilities enable crew to
keep in touch with their families.

B reakdowns in
communication
Can be due to faulty, incomplete,
Feedback
Exchanges of ideas, information
or imprecise information or data, or and knowledge between crew and
through failing to interpret a message management ashore.

Gossip, grapevine
because of language, social or
cultural differences.

Cultural An unofficial means of

communication,
which is normally founded on
understanding speculation and rumour; indicates a
Recognise, interpret and correctly react lack of effective communication.
to people, incidences or situations that
are open to misunderstanding due to H andbooks and
operating instructions
cultural differences.
Ensure that documents that explain
how to use, maintain and operate the

Language barriers
ship and its equipment are written in
the native language of the reader, are
not technically complicated, and are Some seafarers may be unwilling to
easy to understand. admit their difficulty in understanding

Illustrations and communicating because the

commonly used language onboard is
Use imagery, photos, drawings and not their native language.
cartoons to inform and illustrate, in
order to reach out to non-native English
speakers - ‘a picture is worth a
Management seminars
A means of bringing together seafarers
thousand words’ .
from different ships and shore
management, to exchange ideas,
information and knowledge.

Display Noticeboards
For the display of important information
A device or feature designed to to the crew, such as watch and station
provide status, position, or condition bills, safety notices, company bulletins,
information to the operator through social events etc..
visual or auditory feedback.
 5

O rders, instructions &

procedures
User feedback
Seeking the input of those who live and
The ‘what to do’ and ‘how to do it’ of work aboard ship in order to improve
safe ship operations. All should be the design of the ship and its systems, in
clearly defined, easy to understand terms of its habitability, maintainability,
and in a working language or workability, controllability,
languages understood by the ship’s
manoeuvrability and survivability.
personnel.

Paperwork
An abundance of correspondence
(both
Rule of the Road
paper and electronic), statistical reports, The International Regulations for
Preventing Collisions at Sea. A form
of silent communication requiring
vessels to take positive action to
avoid the risk of collision, by standing
on, altering course or adjusting
speed, backed up by sound and light
signals. Otherwise known as the
Collision Regulations or Colregs.

SMCP Visual signals

Standard Marine Communication The use of flags, signs, symbols, hand
Phrases. A comprehensive signals and gestures to inform, direct
standardized safety language, covering and communicate especially to those
all major safety-related verbal who have difficulty in understanding
communication, including phrases to and communicating because the
cover the more important safety-
commonly used language onboard is
related fields of verbal shore-to-ship,
not their native language.
ship-to-shore, ship-to- ship and on-
board communications.

Telephony
Active management policies
should be put in place to ensure
telephones (especially mobile
telephones) are not used to call the
master or crew at inappropriate
and questionnaires and checklists can
times, eg when navigating in busy or
sidetrack the seafarer (especially the
confined waters or when resting and in
master or the chief engineer) from his
a substantially different time zone from
primary purpose of working the ship, if
that of the caller.
it is not carefully controlled.

Working language
Q uestionnaires &
checklists
English shall be used on the bridge
as the working language for bridge-
Usability and quality assurance to-bridge and bridge-to-shore
questions that require a ‘yes’ or ‘no’ safety communications as well as
for communications on board
answer. Checklists, if properly used,
between the pilot and bridge
can be of assistance to ensure that
watchkeeping
nothing has been forgotten when
personnel unless those directly involved
carrying out a procedure. Can lead to
in the communications speak a
a ‘tick in the box’ culture that in turn
common language other than English.
can breed complacency.
6

Effective communication at
Valerie Short
Marine Director
AustralAsian Maritime Education Services Ltd
Note: Valerie Short has since deceased

‘adequate’ to use charts and other

at sea is ‘effective’, an improved version
nautical publications; understand
may also have little effect, especially
meteorological information and
if training emphasises technical and
messages etc. and to perform the
practical subjects, leaving insufficient
officer’s duties also with a multi-lingual
time or resources for English communi-
crew. The ISM Code also requires that
cation training. Also, unless

F crew should work within a

examinations
or communication to be ‘effective’, common language environment. for oral and written proficiencies in
the adjective indicates whether the
English are standardised and
meaning of the spoken or written word Yet the STCW Code does not provide
monitored, improvement is unlikely.
has caused the expected reaction, indications of English proficiency levels
result or effect. to be achieved, despite the existence of In the same way that competency
an excellent oral examination modelled certification for watchkeepers has been
In the seagoing context, and where
on the internationally recognised IELTS agreed internationally, so also should
English is a first language, there should
(International English Language Testing English training and examinations,
be no difficulty; however, where
System), and adapted for examining ensuring communication proficiency
English is a ‘Foreign’ or ‘Second’
seafarers – a system which appears to is achieved. Certificates of English
language, the subtle adjective,
be unknown to maritime examining proficiency should also be recorded
‘effective’ may be understood as
authorities. in the Seaman’s Record book similar
meaning ‘strong’ or ‘emphatic’, not that
to the Certificates of Competency for
it means ‘complete understanding’. Teachers of Maritime English would
watchkeepers.
benefit from using IELTS as a training
For example, in face-to-face on board
tool. It would upgrade oral English Time would be needed for international
communication, when instructions
communication training generally, and agreement, to train teaching staff,
are given to a non-English speaking
would go a long way to establishing a introduce new examination procedures,
crew member, the response may be
common working language on today’s and provide monitoring processes to
an agreeable facial expression, or nod
multi-lingual crewed vessels. prevent fraudulent certification.
indicating understanding, even a polite
“yes sir”. However, should the instruc- It is appropriate that the STCW 95 Yet unless new procedures are
tions not be carried out properly, Code is to be thoroughly reviewed. implemented, ‘effective’ communication
‘effective’ communication is unlikely to Those sections concerning Maritime is unlikely to occur at sea while
have taken place. English proficiency must be given a full miscommunication will continue to put
airing. Many of us involved in this lives and ships at risk
Existing international regulatory codes
training would be happy to assist with
should ensure that, at sea, communi- A Nautical Briefing by Valerie Short, titled
rewriting this important section.
cation in English is not a problem; Maritime English - valuing a common language
STCW 95 contains guidelines for However, since the 1995 version was can be downloaded from: www.he-alert.org/
watchkeepers stipulating that standards unable to ensure English filemanager/root/site_assets/
of English are communication standalone_article_pdfs_0605-/HE00620.pdf

How to get signage right

Thomas Koester, FORCE Technology, Denmark

igns are used to communicate important as the colour of the sign. It can be difficult perceiving a green sign on a
S important messages to passengers
and crew – e.g. escape routes,
mustering stations, warnings against
green bulkhead!
Understandable: Signs often show symbols
hazards and which are standard for the industry. Some symbols
location and use of safety equipment. are universally understandable, while others such
as that for ‘mustering station’ are more difficult to
It is therefore very important that understand intuitively. It is therefore important to
signage should be perceivable, inform and train crew and passengers making
understandable, distinguishable and sure that they understand symbols of vital
unambiguous: importance. Passengers can be trained through
Perceivable: The sign should be of a safety videos and brochures.
size and at a location where it is visible Distinguishable: Different objects having the
without any obstructions. Signs hanging same name appear to be associated e.g.
from the ceiling can cover each other ‘mustering station A is located on deck A’ or
when seen from different angels. The ‘staircase A will take
colour will often follow standards (e.g.
green for escape routes and yellow for
warnings and dangers). The
surrounding colours are at least as
you to mustering station A’. Use
different denominations such as
numbers, colours, names etc. to
avoid this type of confusion.
Unambiguous: The classical
example of ambiguous signage
is the ‘emergency exit’ sign
together with the ‘no entrance’
sign on the same door. It is
difficult for some people to act
against the authority of the ‘no
entrance sign’ – even in an
emergency situation. Another
example is the escape route
symbol pointing both left and
right. Some people will have
problems deciding which route
to take. The solution could be
electronic signs showing only
‘emergency exit’ on the door
and only one safe and
unblocked escape direction.
A shipmaster’s view 7

Captain Jarek Augustyniak

incident or near miss onboard, then it also go to the manned model facility in
will be reported by the Safety Officer to Ilawa, Poland for shiphandling experience
the Master and Safety Committee, it will on ‘ride on’ scale models of ships.
be fed back to the Company and the Dorchester also runs its own courses in
DPA who in turn will pass the details to chemical and gas safety and in effect-
the whole fleet by way of Safety ive leadership in the Baltic Marine
am the 34-year old master of an Isle of
IMan registered 22000 cbm gas carrier
which is managed by Dorchester Atlantic
Bulletins.
We have safety meetings about every
Office in Gdynia.
Company seminars are also regularly held
four weeks, at which the Safety
Bulletins
Marine; I have been will be discussed. - in the case of the officers, twice a year in
with the company for Of course, not Poland. These three-day seminars provide
10 years, having joined If the Chief Mate, for everyone attends an opportunity for us to get together
as a Deck Assistant in example, the safety meet- with the management to exchange
1997. I was promoted
has to go through five or ings, so the ideas, information and knowledge. At
to master in 2006. My Bulletins are made each seminar we have feedback forms
last crew comprised six checklists at the start of available in the for each lecture so that the
of
8 Polish officers and 9
the working day, then so be messrooms, in a management team know what was
file, which is useful. It is also a social occasion
Filipino ratings, although it; checklists are important easily accessible because our immediate families are
we also employ some
Latvian officers, and for our safety, for everyone by every member invited. The evenings spent socializing
of the crew. If with our friends and colleagues and
the company is also onboard and should be there is a Safety
starting to take Filipino their families are just as important as
Cadets. done in a proper way Bulletin the more serious business that we
cover
The working language that is extremely during the day.
onboard is English. important for the
The Polish officers and the Filipino crew ship, I will discuss it at my briefing with We have a company newsletter Vapours
speak quite good English and have no the crew, which I normally hold after the and Dusts; the articles inside are written
difficulty in communicating with one weekly safety drills. for and by our crew and our managers
another. Our standard of English is – everyone is encouraged to write for
checked by the crewing agency before We have an onboard safety and the newsletter, which is published on a
we join the company. For the officers, security training program covering drills, three-monthly basis. The Company
this is done in our crewing agency, training, and lectures required by pays corporate subscriptions to
Baltic Marine, which is a part of international conventions, and a professional institutions like, for
Dorchester Atlantic Marine, but based number of table-top exercises in, for instance, the Nautical Institute so that
in Gdynia. example cargo operations. we get the magazines,
The test consists of a simple program At the end of each which everyone is
of questions and answers lasting about drill, safety videos encouraged to read.
30 to 60 minutes; after that, the training are shown in
the Training programs, safety
Although the master
manager will give us the results, which day room using committees, reporting systems, only has access to
are also checked and approved by the Videotel’s VOD the internet, there is
personnel director. box - ‘Video on 'no blame culture', regular
no problem with any
The ISM Code is important for the demand’. It is a meetings on board and member of the crew
working of the vessel. There may be new computer- who wishes to send
terminal, con- seminars ashore, free e-mail an e-mail to his family
times when it is difficult to implement,
nected to the
and of course, there is more paperwork, access and telephones - all at any time, free of
more proced- ures and checklists; but, I vessel’s TV charge. We have a
think that if this leads to better safety, system which these elements create special ‘e- mail box’
provides a
then it can only be good. If the Chief
number of video
effective ship communication where they can put
Mate, for example, has to go through their e-mail messages
five or six checklists at the start of the training which will be sent with
working day, then so be it; programs and is
the next data
a very useful
training
checklists are important for our safety, team and we have to trust one aid. In the addition to the above the Company
for everyone onboard and should be another. I trust my Chief Mate and I supplies vessels with training presentations and
done in a proper way. trust all my people. The Company quizzes regarding safety and security matters
has a ‘no blame’ culture; it is a available for all crewmembers.
How do I check that he is doing it
culture that is built on trust and it
correctly? The only answer that I can Most of the officers’ training outside of the ship is
means that if there is any accident,
give is that onboard ship we work as a done at the Marine Academy or Maritime School in
Gdynia and are sponsored by the transmission. Also telephone bases
Company. Deck officers do, for example, using
Bridge Resource Management Courses pre-paid cards are available for the
crew.
and senior officers
Training programs, safety
committees, reporting
systems, ‘no blame culture’,
regular meetings on board
and seminars ashore, free e-
mail access and telephones
– all these elements create
effective ship
communication, thereby
continuously improving our
safety and management on
board and ashore and a
belief that we are ONE
team.
 Accident Investi
8
Grounding of a woodchip carrier
during pilotage through incorrect use of helm
his report features the grounding of of the ‘one to one communication’ may not normally use hand signals to
T a 40,360gt woodchip carrier, during
a pilotage, and highlights a number of
have been to encourage ‘challenge’ by
the Filipino helmsman, the lack of cultural
enhance the communication of helm
orders to a helmsman.
examples where communication was not awareness by the pilot made it
effective. The helmsman was steering the ineffective. The rank and nationality of The report also concludes that the
ship as instructed by the pilot, and the the helmsman made it unlikely that he pilot’s use of a mobile telephone in the
master and third mate were on the bridge. would ever challenge a pilot’s order.” time before the grounding was
The pilotage progressed as intended until a inconsistent with good navigational
Other than the brief pre-departure practice and may have been a
turn to port at a critical part of the passage information exchange there was little or distraction. It quotes an Australian
was being executed, during which no communication between the pilot, Marine Guidance Note which concludes
starboard instead of port helm was applied the master and the third mate until the
that: There is a compelling need for clarity
for approximately one minute. By the time grounding was imminent. The report
the error was detected and maximum port concludesthatinadequatecommunication of purpose when conducting the safe
helm applied, grounding was inevitable. led to responsibilities being undefined, navigation of a vessel which endorses the
and did not encourage an atmosphere requirement for an active management
The report deduces that the master/ for ‘challenge and response’. The helm policy for the use of mobile phones on the
pilot information exchange prior to the orders were, for the most part, the only bridges of ships at all times, but especially
departure of the ship from harbour was communication that took place. This led when navigation risks are higher.
minimal. After the exchange, the pilot to inadequate monitoring of the pilotage
instructed the helmsman to inform him if passage, and resulted in ‘single person Note: The purpose of this summary is purely
he had any doubts about any orders the errors’ occurring and not being detected to highlight certain human element issues
pilot gave, or in the event of any in time to prevent the grounding. arising from this incident. Those who are
steering malfunction, however minor. involved in the management and operation of
The pilot had stated that to build rapport The master and third mate stated that ships and of ports are strongly advised to
he had a ‘one to one the pilot did not always‘close the loop’ read the whole report which can be
communication’with the helmsman. with his helm orders, nor did he downloaded from:
According to the report: “while the consistently use the ‘midships’ order. www.atsb.gov.au/publications/

&
purpose Furthermore, he did investigation_reports/2006/MAIR/pdf/
mair227_001.pdf

Reports
Studies
USER fEEDBACK In SHIP DESIGn WHy SHIPS rEALLy COllIDE
D A Joiner, Massey University, New Captain Michael Lloyd
Zealand
An article from Seaways, based on the
The author describes some of the
experiences of a shipmaster
techniques which are used successfully
approaching 50 years at sea with 35
to capture user feedback for the design
years in command, having been master
of land-based buildings and facilities,
of ships of every type including
some of which have potential for the
passenger ships, bulk carriers, ice class
ship design and construction industries
vessels, container ships, coasters, heavy
and for the owners and operators of
lift, in sizes from ocean going tugs to
ships.
300,000 dwt OBOs.
Downloadable from: http://www.he- Downloadable from: http://www.he-
alert.org/filemanager/root/site_assets/ alert.org/filemanager/root/site_assets/
standalone_article_pdfs_0605-/HE00625.pdf standalone_article_pdfs_0605-/HE00635.pdf
HUMAn fACTORS GUIDAnCE fOR
THE HUMAn ElEMEnT - MAInTEnAnCE METHODS AnD MEAnS fOR AnAlySIS
THE IMPORTAnCE Of D J Pennie, N Brook-Carter, Greenstreet Of CREW COMMUnICATIOn In THE
EffECTIvE Berman W H Gibson, rSSB & University of MARITIME DOMAIn
Birmingham robyn Pyne, Thomas Koester
COMMUnICATIOn
David Squire, Editor, Alert! This paper introduces the issue of
maintenance error, considers the issue This paper describes an analysis of a
A presentation to the Maritime Com- of HF in maritime maintenance and number of maritime accident reports in
munications & Technology Conference inspection, describes the HF guidance which a failure of effective crew
held in London in June 2006. The package developed for the rail industry communication played a central role in
presentation discusses the importance and then discusses how such an the causal chain. It discloses the
of effective communication to the approach might be of benefit to the structure of problems related to
human element of ship operations - maritime sector. maritime crew communication and
that is, the seafarer. problems related to different cultures
Downloadable from: http://www.he- and languages.
Downloadable from: www.he-alert.org/ alert.org/filemanager/root/site_assets/
filemanager/root/site_assets/ standalone_article_pdfs_0605-/HE00630.pdf Downloadable from: http://www.he-
standalone_article_pdfs_0605-/HE00615.pdf alert.org/filemanager/root/site_assets/
standalone_article_pdfs_0605-/HE00640.pdf

w: www.he-alert.org e: editor@he-alert.org
This bulletin is distributed and promoted with the
kind support of:
Association of Maritime Education
and Training Institutions in Asia
Pacific (AMETIAP); International
Federation of Shipmasters'
Associations (IFSMA); International
Institute of Marine Surveying
(IIMS); Institute of Marine
Engineering, Science and
Technology (IMarEST);
International Maritime Pilots'
Association (IMPA); NewsLink;
Royal Institute of Navigation (RIN);
Royal Institution of Naval
Architects(RINA)