Managing risks of dynamic sports on board

Wellness, health, sports sound very positive to me. Looking at these words through the eye-glasses of my experience I commented the below post in LinkedIn.

 

I do not want to sound like a grumbling Grinch 🎄—especially today, and certainly not against seafarers’ well-being through sport.

However, excessive optimism and a “pioneer’s approach” (I also did it) may ultimately disappoint both the crew members playing and those responsible for safety on board.

Supporting well-being is essential, and it must be balanced with realistic health risk management.
Based on my own and peer experience, dynamic games such as basketball or football on board ships require very careful consideration: painted metal surfaces, unsuitable footwear, mixed skill levels, limited onboard trauma response, and other ship-induced specifics.

Typical outcomes: from bruises and abrasions to serious joint or bone injuries — turning the crew sport event into another medical case.

As an alternative, I recommend lower-risk sport.

Where dynamic games are still pursued: invest in appropriate gear (non-slip sneakers, elbow, knee, and head protection), proper warm-up and in-game discipline, trauma response (ice packs, immobilization), instructions aligned with the realities (swell, deck fittings, mid-ocean med-evac, etc.).

Wishing everyone a safe, healthy, and injury-free start to the upcoming year 🎆⚓🎉

'Simulation Training Done Right', 26th Jun 2024

Happy to share my presentation at the NI Seminar 'Simulation Training Done Right', that was conducted on June 26, Hamburg.

Sinking of 'Vasa': Historical lesson for Teamworkers

 
 

Frigate "Vasa" in Vasa Museum (Stockholm)
Photo: Wikipedia

'Vasa' was a powerful warship built in the 17th century on the order of the King of Sweden, Gustavus Adolphus. He understood the potential of ships as gun platforms and ordered a series of vessels with two full gundecks and much heavier guns. Vasa was to have the largest number of cannons and the tallest masts of any other ship at sea. Renowned shipbuilders and naval architects Henrik Hybertsson and Arendt de Groote were entrusted with constructing the ship at the Stockholm shipyard.

Despite recognizing that a ship with so many guns and high masts would not be stable, the shipbuilders, supervisors, commissioners, and other experienced project members dared not to challenge the King's vision. The ship was dangerously unstable, but no one spoke up. When the first architect dropped out of the project due to age and disability, another one, who took over also did not challenge the King's wishes. The King, leading the army in Poland, was eager to see 'Vasa' take up her station as the flagship in the Stockholm Archipelago. His subordinates lacked the courage to discuss the ship's problems or to postpone her maiden voyage.

As a result, the ship sank within minutes of setting out on her maiden voyage, causing significant loss of property, money, time, and reputation. An inquiry by the Swedish Privy Council sought to find those responsible for the disaster, but no one was punished. The council accepted that fear of the King's authority prevented the team from being challenging and assertive.

The sinking of 'Vasa' illustrates the Power Distance problem, imbalance between too High Authority and Low Assertiveness in a team, leading to an accident with significant loss. It also demonstrates that even in the 17th century, there was a hint of fairness in judgment that has evolved over centuries into the modern concept of Fairness, no Blame, and Just Culture.

Effective and balanced teamwork, unhindered and professional communication, other resource management essentials are key to prevent accidents. It is also an investment into maintaining safe working environment and finding solutions to daily challenges in business processes.

Various training courses, such as Global Resource Management (GRM), Maritime Resource Management (MRM), HELM (Human Element Leadership and Management), Command and Leadership (C&L), etc. cover the issues in the teamwork. The training cannot be a single life experience, but requires re-iteration. The Iterative learning allows participants to re-fresh knowledge, re-consider gained experience, and to up-scale the skills for the future application. Thus the training cycles may be considered a "vaccination" program for the staff, enabling them with a set of concepts and techniques to pre-empty incidents, find optimal solutions, be resilient in their line of duty.

For your information I offer among others the GRM, MRM, and C&L courses for my Business Customers.

Suez Canal blockage - human factor?

I saw jokes in Twitter/Facebook posted by seafarers (?) about the blockage of Suez by the 400-m long container carrier. "Experts" gave interviews to media. General public is amused by the 9.6 billion figure of daily losses (what losses? to whom?).

Twitter post example

Just few voices in this mess of information were relevant and referenced the case from the point of view that I share. Well, what is my point of view?

May I quote below an excerpt from SHELL Learning Engagement Tool on Human Performance:

"Often incidents are blamed on people and this gives the impression that people cause incidents. However, most mistakes, actions and decisions happen because of the way the workplace is set up, how work is designed, the type of equipment and control measures being used and how leaders influence the culture of an organisation."

One of the sensible short interviews for general public from Capt. John Konrad (gCaptain) that mentions a link to the problem of huge ships with the 'same' numbers of people and technology. Tribute to Deutsche Welle TV.

What does 'en route' mean for MARPOL Annex V?

I have received the following msg from a ship:

Good afternoon, the ship drifting in the South China Sea, the crew is divided opinion about food waste dumping overboard. We need your expert opinion, as there are differences in the interpretation of the words "enroute" "underway" in MARPOL.
Thank you in advance.

This made me look through certain sources and the answer is as such:

Good day!

Thank you for the question. The answer is multi-step:

1) First of all 'en route' in MARPOL has nothing to do with 'underway' or 'making way through water' in COLREG.

2) By IMO Resolution MEPC 55/23 ANNEX 18 UNIFIED INTERPRETATION TO REGULATION 15.2.1 OF THE REVISED MARPOL ANNEX I for Annex I “en route” was defined as “the ship is underway at sea on a course or courses, including deviation from the shortest direct route, which as far as practicable for navigational purposes, will cause any discharge to be spread over as great an area of the sea as is reasonable and practicable.”

3) Law company Black Rome LLP indicate that Annex I meaning is applied to Annex V as well (http://www.lexology.com/library/detail.aspx?g=5bf88ba3-a196-4164-b58f-28017073c603). Same approach can be seen in the the Dutch Supreme court decision of 2014 for Annex II (http://www.mainportlawyers.com/content/dutch-supreme-court-hands-down-judgment-interpretation-%E2%80%98en-route%E2%80%99-context-marpol-convention).

4) However by the Dutch Supreme court decision of 2014 for Annex II, basis Article 31 of the Vienna Convention,  'en route' should mean not only the above but also that a vessel is at a course at a certain speed causing the discharge to be spread over as great an area of the sea as is practicable.

5) SUMMARY:
For Annexes I, II, and V “en route”  = the ship is underway at sea making a certain speed on a course or courses, including deviation from the shortest direct route, which as far as practicable for navigational purposes, will cause any discharge to be spread over as great an area of the sea as is reasonable and practicable.

+

It is very important to mind the below quoted postulates of IMO Resolution MEPC.219 (63) 2012 GUIDELINES FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF MARPOL ANNEX V, 2.7.1 :

• Although discharge into the sea of limited types of garbage is permitted under Annex V, discharge of garbage to port reception facilities should be given primary consideration.
• In general the discharge shall take place when the ship is en route and as far as practicable from the nearest land. Attempts should be made to spread the discharge over as wide an area as possible and in deep water (50 metres or more).
• Prevailing currents and tidal movements should be taken into consideration when discharging into the sea is permitted.

Hope now you have the best answer.

Thank you and best regards,
Alexey O. Chepok

Loading iron ore at port of Buchanan and Monrovia (ArcelorMittal)

The P&I representatives from Eltvedt & O'Sullivan inspected ArcelorMittal's facilities in port of Buchanan and Monrovia, Liberia. The visit was made in order to find out reasons for the arising cargo moisture claims (report).

MSC Napoli - Structural failure - 2007

Overloaded ships no good!