SHINDE RAHUL BHAGWAT( GP 26)
Over the last 40 years or so, the shipping industry has focused on improving ship structure and the reliability of ship systems in order to reduce casualties and increase efficiency and productivity. We’ ve seen improvements in hull design, stability systems, propulsion systems, and navigational equipment. Today’ s ship systems are technologically advanced and highly reliable.
Yet, the maritime casualty rate is still high. Why? Why is it, with all these improvements, we have not significantly reduced the risk of accidents? It is because ship structure and system reliability are a relatively small part of the safety equation. The maritime system is a people system, and human errors figure prominently in casualty situations. About 75-96 % of marine casualties are caused, at least in part, by some form of human error. Studies have shown that human error contributes to:
• • 84-88 % of tanker accidents
• • 79 % of towing vessel groundings
• • 89-96 % of collisions
• • 75 % of fires and explosions
What do we mean by“ human error”? Human error is sometimes described as being one of the following:
• an incorrect decision,
• an improperly performed action, or
• an improper lack of action( inaction).
There are many different kinds of human error. It is important to recognize that“ human error” includes much more than what is commonly called“ operator error”. In order to understand what causes human error, we need to consider how humans work within the maritime system.