Poor Design of Automation. One challenge is to improve the design of shipboard automation. Poor design
pervades almost all shipboard automation, leading to collisions from misinterpretation of radar displays, oil
spills from poorly designed overfill devices, and allisions due to poor design of bow thrusters. Poor equipment
design was cited as a causal factor in one-third of major marine casualties.
Poor maintenance. Published reports and survey results expressed concern regarding the poor maintenance
of ships. Poor maintenance can result in a dangerous work environment, lack of working backup systems,
and crew fatigue from the need to make emergency repairs. Poor maintenance is also a leading cause of fires
and explosions.
Hazardous natural environment. The marine environment is not a forgiving one. Currents, winds, and fog
make for treacherous working conditions. When we fail to incorporate these factors into the design of our
ships and equipment, and when we fail to adjust our operations based on hazardous environmental
conditions, we are at greater risk for casualties.
Summary
The concept of “human error”. We have seen that human error (and usually multiple errors made by multiple
people) contributes to the vast majority (75-96%) of marine casualties, making the prevention of human error of
paramount importance if we wish to reduce the number and severity of maritime accidents. Rather, most of
these errors tend to occur as a result of technologies, work environments, and organizational factors which do
not sufficiently consider the abilities and limitations of the people who must interact with them, thus “setting
up” the human operator for failure. Human errors can be reduced significantly. Other industries have shown
that human error can be controlled through human-centered design. By keeping the human operator uppermost
in