2,908 research outputs found

    A Research Agenda in Maritime Crew Resource Management.

    Get PDF
    This paper opens with a brief introduction to the development of Crew Resource Management (CRM) training in the international shipping industry, a concept that was first advanced through the use of simulators in maritime training colleges over 25 years ago. The paper charts the development of the shipping industry’s approach to the preparation of bridge and engine room teams for normal and abnormal operations, and critiques the current training regime in resource management. Two case studies are presented to highlight some of the CRM issues raised by recent maritime casualties, and the paper then proceeds to set out a research agenda for exploring some of these issues. The paper provides an overview of three research initiatives: the first is to gain a better theoretical understanding of the nature of shared situational awareness and mental models in "real world" maritime operations. A second initiative is to identify a set of behavioural markers for assessing the non-technical skills of crisis management. The third initiative is to explore the role of organisational factors in safe operation, in recognition of the limitations of operator training as a panacea to prevent the re-occurrence of accidents

    Aerospace Medicine and Biology: A continuing bibliography with indexes (supplement 153)

    Get PDF
    This bibliography lists 175 reports, articles, and other documents introduced into the NASA scientific and technical information system in March 1976

    Operational protocols for the use of drones in marine animal research

    Get PDF
    The use of drones to study marine animals shows promise for the examination of numerous aspects of their ecology, behaviour, health and movement patterns. However, the responses of some marine phyla to the presence of drones varies broadly, as do the general operational protocols used to study them. Inconsistent methodological approaches could lead to difficulties comparing studies and can call into question the repeatability of research. This review draws on current literature and researchers with a wealth of practical experience to outline the idiosyncrasies of studying various marine taxa with drones. We also outline current best practice for drone operation in marine environments based on the literature and our practical experience in the field. The protocols outlined herein will be of use to researchers interested in incorporating drones as a tool into their research on marine animals and will help form consistent approaches for drone-based studies in the future

    Aerospace Medicine and Biology: A continuing bibliography with indexes, supplement 182, July 1978

    Get PDF
    This bibliography lists 165 reports, articles, and other documents introduced into the NASA scientific and technical information system in June 1978

    Musculoskeletal disorders in the Swedish armed forces marines : back pain epidemiology and clinical tests

    Get PDF
    The present work was conducted in order to lay the foundation for effective evidence-based prevention of one of the most common musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) in the Swedish Armed Forces (SAF) marines. The overall aim of this thesis was therefore to estimate the occurrence of and identify risk factors for back pain and related limitations in work ability, at different stages of the SAF marine’s career. The aim further included an evaluation of clinical useful tests and exposures assessment of occupational physical activity. The work presented in this thesis is based on one study with a cross-sectional, population-based design (study I, n=272) and two studies with prospective observational cohort designs (study III; n=163, study IV; n= 53). These studies aimed to establish the occurrence of MSDs (study I) and back pain in SAF marines, and identify risks associated with back pain (study I, III, IV). A fourth study (study II; n=33) used a test-retest design to evaluate clinically- relevant movement-control tests with regard to their intra- and inter-observer reliability. Study participants were recruited from the main marine regiment in the SAF, the 1st Marine Regiment at Berga, Sweden. Included personal- and work-related potential risks were measured with structured self-report questionnaires (study I, III,IV), and clinical movement control (study II, III, IV) and muscular strength (study IV) tests. Occupational physical activity and worn load during the marine training course (study IV) were monitored using accelerometers combined with schedules and self-reports. The results from these studies revealed that MSDs were common among SAF marines, limiting work ability to some extent in every other marine within six months. Here, the back (low and/or thoracic) emerged among the most prevalent pain regions, with more than 50% of active duty marines experiencing back pain within 12 months (study III). Additionally, 79% of the marines in the four-month long training course experienced back pain (study IV). Serving as a combat craft crew member (study III) or having work tasks that include occupational sitting (study III) and computer work (study I) emerged as associated factors for back pain. Of the risks related to personal factors, a history of previous back pain and body height emerged as risks for back (study III) and low back pain (study IV). While a lack of physical training (study I, IV) emerged as a risk for back/low back pain that limited work ability, only insufficient upper body strength, as tested with pull-ups (study IV), emerged from the clinical tests as related to back pain. In addition to a low predictive validity (study III, IV), while the movement control test showed good inter- observer reliability, the intra-observer reliability were lower (study II). While only addressing a limited part of the marine training course, results indicate that ambulation was low for parts of the course, but combat loads were carried for more than half of the work time. In conclusion, MSDs are common in active duty SAF Marines, with the back among the most commonly reported pain region. Preventive actions targeting significant risks related to the work marines perform as well as the characteristics of marines – including physical training – are warranted to curb further back pain episodes. While pain history and demographic characteristics can be used to identify marines at risk, the specific relation of these risks to back pain needs to be further clarified. However, movement control tests do not seem to be valid for inclusion in preventive back pain screenings for marines

    An Agent Based Model to Assess Crew Temporal Variability During U.S. Navy Shipboard Operations

    Get PDF
    Understanding the factors that affect human performance variability as well as their temporal impacts is an essential element in fully integrating and designing complex, adaptive environments. This understanding is particularly necessary for high stakes, time-critical routines such as those performed during nuclear reactor, air traffic control, and military operations. Over the last three decades significant efforts have emerged to demonstrate and apply a host of techniques to include Discrete Event Simulation, Bayesian Belief Networks, Neural Networks, and a multitude of existing software applications to provide relevant assessments of human task performance and temporal variability. The objective of this research was to design and develop a novel Agent Based Modeling and Simulation (ABMS) methodology to generate a timeline of work and assess impacts of crew temporal variability during U.S. Navy Small Boat Defense operations in littoral waters. The developed ABMS methodology included human performance models for six crew members (agents) as well as a threat craft, and incorporated varying levels of crew capability and task support. AnyLogic ABMS software was used to simultaneously provide detailed measures of individual sailor performance and of system-level emergent behavior. This methodology and these models were adapted and built to assure extensibility across a broad range of U.S. Navy shipboard operations. Application of the developed ABMS methodology effectively demonstrated a way to visualize and quantify impacts/uncertainties of human temporal variability on both workload and crew effectiveness during U.S. Navy shipboard operations

    The implementation and application of the International Code for Ships Operating in Polar Waters (Polar Code): Evaluations and considerations addressing this functionbased regulation’s effect on safety and emergency preparedness concerning Arctic shipping

    Get PDF
    PhD thesis in Risk management and societal safetyPeople have sailed in polar waters for decades; more than one hundred years ago, Nansen and Amundsen explored the oceans of the Arctic and Antarctic with their expedition teams, with Amundsen leading the expedition that first reached the South Pole in 1911. A remarkable technological evolution has taken place since those days, bringing along even more astonishing innovations. Wooden ships with sail are replaced by standardized steel-constructed vessels, powered by diesel-electric engines or nuclear reactors, and highly technological satellite navigation and communication systems have replaced the sextant, chronometer, compass and surveyor’s wheel guiding the way at that time. The knowledge and experience concerning risks and hazards associated with shipping in polar waters is outstanding. However, the increase in the shipping activity of various vessels in the Arctic region during recent years has resulted in new risks; consequently, the knowledge, experience and the capacity to handle these are limited. Seen historically, major accidents and events have raised the focus on safety and forced the way for the development, innovation and design of new technology and systems. As a response to the Titanic disaster in 1912, the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) was agreed in 1914 and suggested the minimum number of lifeboats and other emergency equipment required to be maintained by merchant ships. Today, the SOLAS Convention is considered the most important of all international treaties concerning the safety of merchant ships and specifies the minimum standards for the construction, equipment and operation of ships. During the last century, several revisions and amendments to this Convention, adopted by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) in 1960, have strengthened the regulations for ship design and operations. Consequently, the maritime industry is forced to innovate, (re)-design and construct vessels, emergency equipment and systems, to become compliant with the SOLAS Convention. In 2017, the IMO amended the SOLAS Convention, by implementing the International Code for Ships Operating in Polar Waters (Polar Code), providing mandatory rules and requirements applicable to ship operations in defined geographical areas in the waters around the Arctic and Antarctica. The Polar Code supplemented existing IMO conventions and regulations, with the goal of increasing the safety of ship operations and mitigating the impact on the people and environment in the remote, vulnerable, and potentially harsh polar waters. Ship systems and equipment addressed in the Polar Code are required to maintain at least the same performance standards referred to in the SOLAS Convention. The key principle of the regulation is founded on a risk-based approach in determining scope and a holistic approach in reducing identified risks. The Polar Code consists of function-based requirements, i.e., the regulation specifies what is to be achieved without specifying how to be in compliance with its requirements. The requirement to first carry out an operational (risk) assessment of the ship and its equipment, considering the anticipated range of operating and environmental conditions, is essential in the application of the Polar Code. This operational assessment shall guide the way in the establishment of shipspecific procedures and operational limitations, based on related risk factors in operating areas and taking into consideration the anticipated range of operating and environmental conditions: amongst others, operation in low air temperature, as this affects the working environment and human performance, maintenance and emergency preparedness tasks, material properties and equipment efficiency, survival time and performance of safety equipment and systems. The Polar Code requires that a Polar Service Temperature (PST) shall be specified for a ship intended to operate in low air temperature and that the performance standard shall be at least 10°C below the lowest Mean Daily Low Temperature (MDLT) for the intended area and season of operation in polar waters. The MDLT is the mean value of the daily low temperature for each day of the year over a minimum 10-year period. Survival systems and equipment are required by the Polar Code to be fully functional and operational at the PST during the maximum expected rescue time – i.e., the time adopted for the design of equipment and systems that shall provide survival support – which is defined in the Polar Code as never being less than five days. The overall objective of this research is to contribute to the development of new knowledge concerning the implementation and application of the Polar Code and how this function-based regulation, so far, has succeeded in achieving its goal. Two research questions were developed to support the overarching objective, concerning the Polar Code’s applicability as a regulatory instrument in Arctic shipping. The research questions were associated with: (1) the Polar Code’s contribution to enhancing safety for shipping in the Arctic Ocean, considering the risks and hazards associated with activities in these waters, and (2) the identification of key mechanisms to ensure that compliance with the stated goal of the regulation occurs in a satisfactory manner. Individual interviews are conducted with experts in the field, concerning the implementation and application of the Polar Code. Moreover, two controlled experiments are performed, to assess the risk to humans and equipment of low temperature and exposure. The implementation of new regulations can trigger the development of new products, systems and processes, even though, in the early stages, it can be unclear how the development will manifest itself. At the time of the implementation of the Polar Code in 2017 (1st January), there was a lack of guidelines or informative standards providing support to the Polar Code, and a variety of solutions on emergency equipment and systems could comply with the regulation’s function-based requirements. Although the regulation provides additional guidance (in Part II-B) to the mandatory provisions (in Part II-A), this is in many cases general and generic. The operational assessment is required to address both individual (personal survival equipment) and shared (group survival equipment) needs, which shall be provided in the event of an abandonment of ship situation. The Polar Code states that this equipment shall provide effective protection against direct wind chill, sufficient thermal insulation to maintain the core temperature of persons, and sufficient protection to prevent frostbite of all extremities. In the guidance (Part II-B) of the regulation, samples of suggested equipment for personal survival equipment and group survival kits are provided. However, many products will comply with the suggested equipment, regardless of their suitability under real conditions. The protection against wind chill to humans, to prevent frostbite (and to increases the survival time) depends on factors such as time and type of exposure, individual physiological conditions and activity level, rather than just the types of gloves or shoes chosen and their protective status. The sinking of a cruise liner is considered the ultimate challenge for the rescue capability in the Arctic region, and the passengers on cruise ships represent a vulnerable group for several reasons. The average passenger is typically older and less fit and would suffer from discomfort and hypothermia faster than younger persons, in a situation requiring evacuation to lifeboats, life rafts or directly onto ice. For shipowners and operators operating in polar waters and required to comply with the Polar Code, there can be economic incentives for neglecting or not actively taking part in the innovating process of improving and developing new systems and equipment sufficient to withstand low temperatures and the harsh polar conditions. High costs are expected in the work of developing and improving emergency equipment and systems, especially if technical and operational winterization upgrades of older vessels are necessary. Search and Rescue (SAR) exercises conducted in the waters surrounding Svalbard have revealed that the marine industry in general is reactive in the work of implementing the Polar Code’s requirements. Consequently, many vessels are equipped with insufficient survival equipment, including insufficient food and water rations. Great variations are observed in Life-Saving Appliances (LSA) and arrangements, concerning both quality and functionality, approved by flag states and classification societies. There are, unfortunately, examples of tailored operational assessments which support marginal emergency equipment and systems, as the associated cost, weight, volume and capacity puts additional strain and restrictions on shipowners and operators. With limited communication between the suppliers of the development of survival equipment, there are large variations among the functionality of such equipment in polar waters. There is lack of harmonization and standardization amongst the subject groups supposed to comply with the Polar Code, and a common understanding of the most suitable and “stateof- the-art” LSA and arrangements required for an emergency response situation in polar waters seems not to be in reach yet. [...

    Aerospace Medicine and Biology: A continuing bibliography with indexes

    Get PDF
    This bibliography lists 253 reports, articles, and other documents introduced into the NASA scientific and technical information system in October 1975

    How a ship´s bridge knows its position - ECDIS assisted accidents from a contemporary human factors perspective

    Get PDF
    The technological artifacts used in ship navigation have undergone substantial changes during the last decades, and real-time digital navigation is a reality with the introduction of the ECDIS. Despite the obvious merits of this new navigation mode, and the imagined improvement in safety that it theoretically should bring, ECDIS has in recent years been associated with several accidents. The term ECDIS assisted accidents has emerged in official accident investigation reports and is widely used among the applied technology community as well as having led to the term reverberating the RADAR assisted accidents that the maritime industry has used following the introduction of the RADAR. Despite the focus on the causal contribution from the interplay between the ECDIS and the navigator, the conclusions in the official accident investigation reports are predominantly directed towards the abilities of the ECDIS operator to use the equipment properly, and to a lesser extent on the features of the ECDIS. The reports do not at all investigate how the equipment could have helped navigators, by offering better support in reaching their contextual goals, i.e., to remain in control of the ship and to maintain safe navigation. Parallel accounts emanating from the applied community of ship navigation seem to suggest that functioning of the ECDIS is far from perfect, and at times is considered suboptimal by navigators. The ambition driving this thesis work was to explore these second stories about navigation with ECDIS, based on operator experiences, in order to gain leverage for new ways to inform future development and design of ECDIS, which to a higher degree would need to take into account the contextual conditions and demands that operators experience in the field of practice, and thereby to minimize the gap between how designers, and other remote stakeholders, imagine ECDIS operations, and how these actually play out. Naturalistic research was carried out by attending three ships ́ bridges while the ships were operating. Insights were gained into what sometimes make work difficult during navigation by ECDIS. The findings were juxtaposed with information found in three official accident accounts of ECDIS assisted accidents, and finally the results were discussed based on a theoretical framework based on contemporary human factors and systems safety research literature, including Cognitive Systems Engineering. Thus, it was concluded how the methods applied in this thesis work, and its findings, could be useful to future ECDIS design and development

    SARex2 : Surviving a maritime incident in cold climate conditions

    Get PDF
    To comply with the IMO Polar Code requirement regarding survival in a rescue craft until rescue or for a minimum of five days has proved to be a hard and complicated endeavor. Multiple mechanisms are at play and interact. As a result, survival is not only about providing the correct equipment with the right functionality, it is also about physical and mental robustness and the ability to conduct the right tasks for the duration of the stay. The SARex exercise proved that the margins determining survival are very small and there is no room for error. Strong leadership is essential, and the rescue craft captain’s knowledge and experience are critical factors for success. This is currently not addressed in the standard maritime training regime. Maintaining an adequate body temperature is essential to mitigate the effects of hypothermia. This can be achieved by reducing heat loss. Maintaining a sustainable heat loss is a result of both the habitable environment provided by the rescue craft and the insulation provided by the personal protective equipment. As a result, there are strong dependencies between the functionality provided by the rescue craft and the functionality provided by the personal protective equipment. Today’s requirements with regard to water and rations do not seem to be adequate for a five-day survival scenario. All exercise participants lost about 2 kg of body mass during the first 24 hours in the rescue craft. This was mostly due to small water rations. The effect of dehydration will result in reduced blood circulation, causing freezing of extremities and loss of motivation and cognitive abilities. Prevention of the development of fatigue and maintaining cognitive abilities are key elements to success, as survival for an extended period (e.g. five days) is not a ‘waiting game’. It is essential to continuously perform all the small tasks required for survival. Preventing the development of fatigue and maintaining cognitive abilities are closely linked to other mechanisms at play, e.g. seasickness, dehydration, hypothermia, energy level and pain level. A minimum degree of comfort on board the rescue craft will be required to survive for a prolonged period of time in that environment. One element of the SARex was the evacuation of a lifeboat by helicopter. Evacuating a large number of personnel by helicopter proved not to be efficient. For larger incidents involving many casualties, marine SAR resources are essential for an efficient rescue. The exercise also tested Emergency Position Indicator Radio Beacons (EPRIBs). It is evident that the functional range of the 121.5 MHz beacon is limited to a few nautical miles. Based on the tests carried out by SARex, a reduced duty cycle on the EPERB does not interfere with the direction-finding abilities on the rescue vessel. It is, however, clear that, with today’s technology, only transmitting a carrier with no information coded into the signal is not very efficient. Utilizing technology where the RF signal (radio frequency signal) also contains information, e.g. an automatic identification system (AIS signal), is more efficient. Technology like that described above will not only increase the battery time or transmission power. It will also enable the SAR organization to obtain the position of the lifeboat/life raft, either through the information coded into the signal or by homing in on the signal. It should be noted that the authors of the main part of this report are responsible for the analysis and the statements made in the report. The report may not reflect the opinion of the sponsors and the participants involved in the exercise.publishedVersio
    corecore