Alert Series

If you are familiar with computers, you may have heard the expression "Garbage in, garbage out" meaning that if we put inaccurate or invalid data into computer, that is we exactly what we get.

So, how does that relate to the shipping industry workers - this is exactly what we are going to find out in this issue of Alert. What we are talking about is the quality - poor quality in, poor quality out.

Most shipboard systems depend of some level of human involvement... The film is to supplement this Alert booklet.

The International Safety Management Code - ISM - represents the cornerstone IMO approach towards the developing and maintaining the strong safety culture. Focus is very clearly on human element.

Some time has passed since the Code was implemented... so, where are we now and how is ISM doing, is it working at all - these are a sort of questions raised in this issue of Alert.

The fact is that, although there are many positives, it is clear that more care is to be placed on the human understanding of the system. Port State Control inspections have revealed that in some instances ship personnel are not applying the Safety Management System to operation of the ship.

Certificates not in order, senior officers not able to identify the designated person, program for the emergency drills and exercises not available - these are the non-conformances routinely identified at the PSC inspections... This video is to supplement this Alert publication.

The human element is one the most critical features of all aspects of ship or system design and operation.

In order for any ship or system to operate in a safe and effective way, it must be designed to support the people who work there, without any risk to their health or safety and with no negative impact on the overall performance.

In this issue of Alert we are going to be looking at ergonomics. This video is intended to supplement this Alert issue.

You know, technology has made the whole business of ship design so much simpler. Those of you who are familiar with key series of our program, know that Alert! is concerned with the human element - a critical but often overlooked feature of all aspects of ship or system design operation.

So, in any ship design plan focus should be on the people who are going to use it; and here, of course, we are talking about seafarers. So, how we get the design which focuses on making the ship and the systems usable? We do that through the process called the Human Centered Design, or HCD. The film will supplement this Alert booklet.

Let us find out today, what is it that makes our ships fully operational and what it is that makes the vessels safe to operate? Rules and regulations? Certainly. Proper management systems? Those too. Reliable well maintained machinery and equipment? Essential, obviously. But... you know there is something else that maritime industry relies on, and this is maybe most important thing of all - this thing is called "communication", and communication is something that will be communicated in the present fourteenth issue of Alert.

The ability of the people on board to effectively and properly communicate in writing and/or through verbal conversation is so important to both safety and wellbeing of the vessel's crew, ship passengers and visitors. We have to clearly understand that communication is not only something about talking and writing - it is about exchanging ideas, information and knowledge between individuals and between crew and management ashore, and for problem solving. Owners and operators of the ship provide tools for communicating on board, such as the phones, e-mail and internet facilities that should allow the crew members to keep in touch with their families... This short video film is to supplement the associated release of the Alert bulletin dedicated to the same problem.

When you look at our business, there are one or two things that are absolutely clear. It is a business responsible for over ninety percent of the world commerce, a business operated by skilled professional people; it is also clear that it is a business experiencing rapid changes, massive technological advances, including automation.

But when we look at the impact automation has on the ship's personnel, the people who actually make the business work, the things may not be so clear, and that is something we will be looking at in the present issue of Alert. If you are familiar with this series, you will know that Alert is the forum for discussing the many human element issues in the maritime industry and it features contributions from maritime professionals around the world. So, what about automation?... Well, it should make life easier for the seafarer, and it should make operations safer.

But what happens if the automated system is not fit for purpose, what happens if it is not set-up correctly and properly maintained? This could result in huge losses after ship's grounding, ships delaying due to the engine failure, record insurance call follows high risk year... At sea, operators of equipment and systems need to be constantly aware of anything not being exactly alright. This short video is intended to supplement the relevant Alert booklet.

Our ships are our homes as well as being our place of work. So, when crew members board a new ship, they should expect it to be fit for purpose, i.e. designed and built with the user and operational tasks in mind, taking into account environmental conditions that it is likely to encounter during its working life.

That is reasonable, isn't it? In this issue of Alert we will focus on the ship design with the seafarer in mind (or not in mind, as the case may be...). The reality is that very few, if not none, of the crew members boarding a new ship, have been involved in its design... Please use this booklet on the same topic as the supplementary training document.

Hello! We are all now familiar with Alert, you know it is a forum to share ideas and solve problems relating to the human element issues in the maritime industry, and today's issue concerns a very important investment - an investment in quality.

Regulations to ensure safer shipping and cleaner oceans are usually brought in following a casualty and accident involving loss of life, or one that had an impact on the environment. But some ship owners are failing to comply with the international requirements and their ships are falling below the standards. This video is to supplement the training booklet on same topics.