STEP CHANGE FOR SAFETY GLOBAL SHARING DEC 2013 - SAFE NAVIGATION | Page 27

There are some interruptions and distractions that we can control, and not using a cell phone
while driving your car is a good example, but the airline industry goes much further to
manage the threat of interruptions and distractions during critical periods where cockpit staff
face some similar challenges to those on the navigating bridge of a vessel.
The evidence confirms our belief that the threat of “interruptions & distractions” should also
be addressed in a systematic and effective way in the shipping & maritime industry by;
1. Implementing an awareness campaign to alert sea going staff to the dangers posed by losing
situational awareness due to interruptions & distractions, and;
2. Implementing an effective “No Distractions” policy at a company level (see example below),
and;
3. Reinforcing the implementation of such a policy by inclusion in your Navigation Auditing
check-list question set

Example of a “No Distractions” policy for Tankers;
Effective situational awareness requires a lot of mental immersion in the task and Managers
& vessels Masters should ensure that staff tasked with HSSE critical activities such as Officer
of the Watch (OOW) cannot as far as possible be distracted from their duties by
implementing a “no distractions” policy on the bridge during critical operations e.g.
• Non-essential personnel should be banned from the bridge/navigation area
during stand-by periods, where navigation is critical, or traffic is heavy
• OOW’s and other critical Bridge team members should where ever possible
refrain from completing routine non-essential paperwork or other tasks that may
lead to task distraction during stand-by periods, where navigation is critical, or
traffic is heavy
• The use of personal computers (laptops) on the bridge by key navigation watchkeeping staff during stand-by, in areas when navigation is critical, or traffic is
heavy should be prohibited
• The use of mobile and satellite phones on the bridge by key navigation watchkeeping staff navigation watch-keeping staff during stand-by, in areas when
navigation is critical, or traffic is heavy should be prohibited
• The use of radios (entertainment), MP3 players or CD players on the
bridge/navigation area is prohibited during stand-by, in areas when navigation
is critical, or traffic is heavy should be prohibited