Tag: human error

Behind every technical process is a human decision—and in the demanding world of maritime work, human behavior isn’t just a side factor. It’s the core of safety performance, notes Maria Kolitsida, Founder, SignalFusion.

A New Zealand military inquiry has revealed that a series of human errors contributed to the sinking of the HMNZS Manawanui in October 2024.

The instinct to assign blame when things go wrong is natural because it gives us a sense of control. However, this instinct might be making us less safe. In this article, Rohit Talwar, HSSEQ Manager at V. Group, used the 2021 Stolt Groenland incident report to highlight that mistakes are often unintentional, but the tendency to focus on who is at fault is common.

Abhijith Balakrishnan, Safety Manager, DPA, Scorpio Marine Management (India) Pvt Ltd.  shares two different stories, comparing ships’ practices and highlighting that safety needs trust.

During the 2024 SAFETY4SEA Singapore Forum, Capt. Kunal Nakra, General Manager, Safety Governance and Performance at Swire Shipping, emphasized that high psychological safety is directly correlated with maintaining a safe and well-functioning workplace.

Mistakes by members of the crew caused New Zealand navy ship HMNZS Manawanui to plow into a reef catching fire and sinking.

The HOP Principle "Blame Fixes Nothing" recognizes that most errors or incidents are not solely the result of individual failures but are often the product of broader systemic issues.

When the brain does not rest properly, you are vulnerable to the dangerous phenomenon of “microsleep”. If that doesn't sound dangerous to you, the NTSB can present an example, as a captain’s microsleep was deemed the reason behind a vessel grounding in July 2022.

Over the past few years, the industry has managed a significant drop in reported shipping losses and errors with improvements in ship design, maritime technology, regulation and risk management systems. Dealing with the human factor, though, is unpredictable. Human error and marine accidents seem to be strongly intertwined. From small fires to big explosions seafarers play a key role. No matter how far maritime technology goes, people are always going to be needed in this industry to keep the ship in motion.

Following the first edition of the Safety & Loss Prevention Briefings Compendium, published in January 2022 by the International Institute of Marine Surveying (IIMS), a second edition has been launched covering the period January to October 2022.