Maritime safety and the ISM code: a study of investigated casualties and incidents

Abstract In 1993, the International Maritime Organization adopted the International Safety Management (ISM) Code which requires all shipping companies operating certain types of vessels to establish safety management systems. Nevertheless, two decades later, maritime safety remains a concern. This article studies 94 maritime cases investigated by the Maritime Accident Investigation Branch in the UK. By providing an analysis of reported casualties and incidents, it highlights current challenges in maritime safety. For each casualty and incident, the study reviews the underlying causal factors. These causal factors are then coded according to the functional sections of the ISM Code, covering various aspects of safety management. To investigate human and organizational factors involved in the casualties and incidents, the human factor analysis and classification system (HFACS) is applied to code the same data. Finally, the relative seriousness of casualties and incidents is considered to discuss the findings from ISM Code and HFACS reviews. The study found that the main challenges pertain to the development of plans for shipboard operations, local shipboard management, and the ability of the company to verify when such practices deviate from best practices or required standards

Particle Filter Based Ship State and Parameter Estimation for Vessel Maneuvers

Vessel states and parameters estimation is essential for maneuvering and collision avoidance. This study presents an application of particle filter (PF) algorithm to estimate vessel states and parameters. Particularly, to reduce the impact of the vessel’s underactuated property and complex environmental disturbance, the estimation process contains a kinematic curvilinear motion model that describes vessel’s motion. The estimated result can help navigators or ship onboard computers well comprehend the current vessel maneuvering condition. Besides, it can also serve as the necessary data source for vessel’s future trajectory prediction. Therefore, it can be integrated into vessel’s situation awareness (SA) module that supports safety navigation for both conventional and autonomous vessels

Kinematic motion models based vessel state estimation to support advanced ship predictors

Advanced ship predictors can generally be considered as a vital part of the decision-making process of autonomous ships in the future, where the information on vessel maneuvering behavior can be used as the source of information to estimate current vessel motions and predict future behavior precisely. As a result, the navigation safety of autonomous vessels can be improved. In this paper, vessel maneuvering behavior consists of continuous-time system states of two kinematic motion models—the Curvilinear Motion Model (CMM) and Constant Turn Rate & Acceleration (CTRA) Model. Two state estimation algorithms—the Extended Kalman Filter (EKF) and Unscented Kalman Filter (UKF) are implemented on these two models with certain modifications so that they can be compatible with discrete-time measurements. Four scenarios, created by combining different models and algorithms, are implemented using simulated ship maneuvering data from a bridge simulator. These scenarios are then verified through the proposed stability and consistency tests. The simulation results show that the EKF tends to be unstable combined with the CMM. The estimates from the other three scenarios can generally be considered more stable and consistent, unless sudden actions or variations in vessel heading occurred during the simulation. The CTRA is also proven to be more robust compared to the CMM. As a result, a suitable combination of mathematical models and estimation filters can be considered to support advanced ship predictors in future ship navigation

The impact of safety factors on decision-making in maritime navigation

Approximately 85% of maritime accidents are accounted for by navigation accidents, caused by human errors such as mistakes in impropriate decision-making. Decision-making skills are the key to safe sailing. However, the assessment of decisionmaking based on objective measurements is rarely studied. This paper aims to assess the impact of safety factors on decision-making in maritime navigation. Two different levels of complexity, each with a different number of safety factors, were designed for the experiment. NASA-TXL rating was used to evaluate the participants’ perceived workload and performance, while objective measures such as deviation from the planned route were used to analyze decision-making and performance. Results indicate that a higher workload and stress level are associated with more complex scenarios and safety factors and that safety is prioritized in decision-making under stress. The research can be used to improve decision-making skills in maritime training programs

Coordinate Conversion and Switching Correction to Reduce Vessel Heading-Related Errors in High-Latitude Navigation

Considering the distortion errors of projected coordinates and the switching property of vessel heading, coordinate conversion and switching correction methods are proposed to modify a kinematic motion model and the Unscented Kalman Filter (UKF). The coordinate conversion method utilizes the grid convergence from a Universal Transverse Mercator (UTM) projection to correct the vessel heading. The switching correction is embedded in the UKF so that the innovations of vessel heading can be calculated correctly. The simulation results demonstrate that the proposed modifications in both model and algorithm can generate more accurate estimated vessel states from two simulated maneuvers. Since a reliable estimation of vessel maneuvers is the prerequisite in many intelligent systems that support various decision-making processes in maritime transportation, the proposed modifications can be therefore implemented into these systems to support navigation safety in high latitude areas

Biosignal-Based Driving Skill Classification Using Machine Learning: A Case Study of Maritime Navigation

This work presents a novel approach to detecting stress differences between experts and novices in Situation Awareness (SA) tasks during maritime navigation using one type of wearable sensor, Empatica E4 Wristband. We propose that for a given workload state, the values of biosignal data collected from wearable sensor vary in experts and novices. We describe methods to conduct a designed SA task experiment, and collected the biosignal data on subjects sailing on a 240° view simulator. The biosignal data were analysed by using a machine learning algorithm, a Convolutional Neural Network. The proposed algorithm showed that the biosingal data associated with the experts can be categorized as different from that of the novices, which is in line with the results of NASA Task Load Index (NASA-TLX) rating scores. This study can contribute to the development of a self-training system in maritime navigation in further studies

Analysis of the impact of deploying thermal protective immersion suits on evacuation time for passenger ships operating in polar waters

For passenger vessels operating in polar waters, the Polar Code requires that in case of possibility of immersion in polar waters, thermal protective immersion suits (TPIS) should be available for all passengers. Thus, international standards require that TPIS can be donned within 2 min and that walking speeds are reduced by no more than 25%. Clearlythese requirements are arbitrary and do not reflect their potential impact on evacuation performance. Other IMO requirements specify the maximum time permitted for assembly and abandonment times for passenger ships, which can be assessed using agent-based evacuation modelling (ABEM). However, these requirements currently ignore the impact of TPIS and employ a safety factor of 25% to represent all factors ignored when modelling evacuation. Here we explore the impact of TPIS on both the assembly and abandonment times of a hypothetical vessel using ABEM. The results demonstrate that requiring the donning of a TPIS can increase assembly times by as much as 65% and negatively impacts the abandonment process. It is thus essential that additional requirements associated with evacuation of vessels in polar waters are reflected within the IMO passenger ship evacuation certification guidelines. The paper suggests several ways in which this can be achieved

Active learning for enhanced understanding of "ship damage stability"

Active Learning has always played an important part of seamen’s education. Transfer of experience have from ancient time been practiced in an active learner-centered field where unexperienced seamen got involved in their own learning by being supervised by experienced seamen, when practicing seaman related activities. This learning practice was supreme before the introduction of “modern” maritime educational institutions. This introduction led to development of an education field with a passive more teacher-centered learning style in addition to traditional practical active learning style, on sea. Damage Stability is one important topic of modern Ship hydrostatic and Ship Stability subjects of the ship-officer education. This topic have traditionally been lectured in a passive teacher-centered learning style, which may have limited the development of basic developmental knowledge and understanding. This paper will present a conceptual framework of an Active Experimental Learning platform for enhanced developmental knowledge and “in-depth” understanding of Ship Damage Stability. Advantages and possible disadvantages of Active Experimental Learning related to this presentation are going to be discussed. In addition to this presentation, the paper will present a lighter survey to clarify how a selected number of Maritime Education and Training schools, at bachelor level, plan their approach to this topic according to required competence by STCW

Possible COLREGs Failures under Digital Helmsman of Autonomous Ships

Autonomous navigation will play an important role in the future of the shipping industry. Hence, this study illustrates several concepts that should support the navigation side in relation to the collision avoidance of autonomous ships. The concept of system intelligence, i.e., cloned by human navigators, as the digital helmsman to navigate future vessels is discussed in the first part of this study. That can provide an adequate solution to the ship controllability problem. A collision avoidance framework. i.e., based on fuzzy logic, developed to support the digital helmsman is discussed in the second part of this study. The same collision avoidance framework complements the digital helmsman. Future vessels will navigate in a mixed environment, where manned, remote controlled and autonomous vessels are interacting. Hence, the proposed collision avoidance framework, as a decision support feature based on the respective navigational rules and regulations, should support both humans as well as systems to make appropriate actions in such a navigation environment. It is expected to have an adequate consistency between human and system collision avoidance actions to preserve the integrity of system level intelligence. In the third part of this study, the consistence between human and system decisions/actions in critical collision avoidance situations with the main intention of identifying possible regulatory failure situations in a simulated environment are investigated by using the same collision avoidance framework

Maritime Security and Threat Assessments

Maritime security is still a challenge in international trade. In this case‐study we analyze how the Norwegian Shipowners’ Mutual War Risks Insurance Association (DNK) provides Norwegian maritime companies with regional assessments of threat‐levels. Through a survey and a series of interviews, we study factors that affect the communication and perception of threats, in addition to how maritime companies make security decisions regarding operating in different areas. The study concludes that the DNK and maritime companies largely have a common assessment of threat levels. Though communication between DNK and its member companies has challenges, the members largely consider DNK threat assessments to be reliable. Security decisions in maritime companies typically involve multiple actors, considerations of economy versus security, and multiple sources of security intelligence information