HANDS CALL Hands Call Edition 2 | Page 5

While human errors are all too often blamed on “inattention” or “mistakes” on the part of the operator, more often than not they are suggestive of deeper and more complicated problems in the total maritime system. Human errors are generally caused by technologies, environments, and organizations which are incompatible in some way with optimal human performance. These incompatible factors “set up” the human operator to make mistakes. So what is to be done to solve this problem? Traditionally, management has tried either to tempt or threaten its personnel into not making errors, as though proper motivation could somehow overcome inborn human limitations. In other words, the human has been expected to adapt to the system. This does not work. Instead, what needs to be done is to adapt the system to the human. The discipline of human factors is devoted to understanding human capabilities and limitations, and to applying this information to design equipment, work environments, procedures, and policies that are compatible with human abilities. In this way we can design technology, environments, and organizations which will work with people to enhance their performance, instead of working against people and degrading their performance. This kind of human-centered approach (that is, adapting the system to the human) has many benefits, including increased efficiency and effectiveness, decreased errors and accidents, decreased training costs, decreased personnel injuries and lost time, and increased morale.    Inadequate Communications. Another area for improvement is communications- Better procedures and training can be designed to promote better communications and coordination on and between vessels. Bridge Resource Management (BRM) is a first step towards improvement. Inadequate General Technical Knowledge. In one study, this problem was responsible for 35% of casualties. The main contributor to this category was a lack of knowledge of the proper use of technology, such as radar. Mariners often do not understand how the automation works or under what set of operating conditions it was designed to work effectively. The unfortunate result is that mariners sometimes make errors in using the equipment or depend on a piece of equipment when they should be getting information from alternate sources. Inadequate Knowledge of Own Ship Systems. A frequent contributing factor to marine casualties is inadequate knowledge of own ship operations and equipment. Several studies and casualty reports have warned of the difficulties encountered by crews and pilots who are constantly working on ships of different sizes, with different equipment, and carrying different cargoes. The lack of ship-specific knowledge was cited as a problem by 78% of the mariners surveyed. A combination of better training, standardized equipment design, and an overhaul of the present method of assigning crew to ships can help solve this problem.