As part of its Safety Culture series, Shipowners Club provides advice on how to raise a safety concern in a manner that helps to avoid an uncomfortable situation.
Namely, the club shares the PACE Method which can help seafarers and empower them to prevent incidents from occurring.
PROBE
Ask questions to test whether the other person’s understanding of the situation is the same as your own. “This compartment could be considered an enclosed space, couldn’t it?”
Either your or the other person’s awareness of the situation may be wrong and this can quickly resolve any confusion.
ALERT
Draw the other person’s attention to your opinion of the risks.“That task involves us working on the forecastle and the weather is causing heavy spray to break over the forward deck.”
The risks can be easily overlooked if the other person is busy or under pressure.
CHALLENGE
Raise the intervention further if needed by directly challenging the person’s assessment of the circumstance and offer a preferred situation.
“I do not believe it is safe to launch the boat with crew on board. We should lower the boat to the water and board using the embarkation ladder.” The direct challenge and offer of an alternative can allow the person to change their approach and use a safer method.
ESCALATE
If the situation is developing into an emergency situation, it may be necessary to escalate further and stop the job. “I think that this operation is dangerously unsafe. We cannot continue and must stop this job to find a safer solution.”
By clearly stating your intention to stop the job and raising awareness to those involved, you allow everyone to step back from the situation and consider a safe alternative.
