Ship navigation from a Safety-II perspective: A case study of training-ship operation in coastal area

This study presents how resilience is incorporated in the everyday operation of a ship from the Safety-II perspective. The study identifies the contribution to ship safety owing to the bridge team's performance in navigating the ship. A qualitative observation and the functional resonance analysis method have been applied to analyse officers' everyday performance. Essential functions of officer activities onboard are generated via direct observation and semi-structured interviews on the training ship Fukae-maru. System activities are modelled in terms of how the actual work happens. The specific dynamic functional model of ship navigation is obtained to further express the dynamic work of the watch officers. The result indicates that the ship officer's adaptability and flexibility beneficially contributed to the system's ability to monitor, respond, learn, and anticipate. This resilience was distinctly demonstrated through function and couplings. Furthermore, this study acknowledges human functions as a resource to cope with the complexity escalation that results from technological development for future maritime transportation.

Automated summary

This study explores how resilience is integrated into the everyday operation of a ship from the Safety-II perspective. The focus is on the performance of the bridge team in navigating the ship and its contribution to ship safety. Through qualitative observation and functional resonance analysis, the study examines the officers' everyday performance and identifies the essential functions of their activities onboard. A specific dynamic functional model of ship navigation is obtained to further illustrate the officers' adaptability and flexibility in monitoring, responding, learning, and anticipating. The study emphasizes the importance of human functions in coping with the complexity escalation resulting from technological development in maritime transportation.