Tag: situational awareness

There are several operational factors that may affect safe navigation and the performance and accuracy of navigational equipment required by SOLAS. In that regard, watchkeepers should be aware of the routing measures, intended to contribute to the safety of navigation and marine environment protection.

The inability to concentrate on the task at hand is one of the maladies of our time. Multitasking and social media can cause distractions during work onboard. However, for safety reasons, crew members should avoid distractions and improve their focus and productivity.

During the 2023 SMART4SEA Athens Forum, Mr. Themistoklis Sardis, IT Manager, Costamare Shipping Company S.A. explained that there are several AI applications in the shipping industry, including automation of cargo handling and management, optimization of routes and logistics, and predictive maintenance of ships and other equipment.

Situational Awareness is a concept that has been around in maritime for many years. The benefits associated with situational awareness are significant, with an increase in safety, task, team and organizational performance considered as the most important outcomes.

Crew members are prone to many distractions onboard; from a complex navigation bridge to high workloads while navigating their vessel through busy shipping lanes. Analysis of maritime accident reports shows that situational awareness is one of the most important safety factors, highlighting never to relax our vigilance when onboard.

History has shown that being alert onboard is a crucial element to prevent accidents from happening on board ships. The error is, of course, human and inevitable, but over the years, a more enhanced safety culture has been promoted, aiming to teach seafarers how to keep their situational awareness and ensure safe operations.

A popular technique related to situational awareness was introduced by Colonel Jeff Cooper, a United States Marine and an expert on the use and history of small arms. Originally meant for military applications, the principles of Colonel Cooper’s Color Code quickly spread to those concerned about being more aware of their environment.

As the transition towards autonomous vessel operations begins to advance, the situational awareness of the system operator is key. Thus, it is imperative that the system operator has the knowledge and understanding to be able to assess and, if required, correct any malfunction or abnormal behavior caused by the system.