Accident Prevention - Assignment Example

List of Content Introduction2 2. Part 2 3. Part 2..6 4. Conclusion.9 5. List of Reverences10 Introduction In March 1987 there was a horror accident at see. 193 persons died, when M/S Herald of Enterprise owned by Townsend Thoresen capsized just sailed from the port. At the beginning of the investigation process the majority of investigators were trying to find any damage of the ship or to elicit a fact of technical failure. To their great surprise there was not any technical defect of the ferry. The main cause of this tragic accident was that the bow doors of the ship had been left open and the bosun, who has the duty to check it, had just slept. It was held a maritime inquiry. According to New York Times (1987) Lord Justice Sir Barry Sheen produced the report in the case of this accident, in which he stated: "Townsend Car Ferries, Ltd. are at fault at all levels, from the board of directors down to the junior superintendents. From top to bottom, the body corporate was affected with the disease of sloppiness". It is generally known that in most cases a prime contributor to accidents happening in various spheres of our life is human error. According to Wreathall & Reason (1992) sometime ago, "evaluations of accidents in terms of human contributions have most often focused on the immediate proximate human actions that were the final steps in the chain". Nowadays everyone realizes that such handling is not able to take into consideration all factors and to define all causes accounting for accidents. Therefore in order to make proper analysis of a particular case and to minimize the human contribution to accidents, one should investigate all the human factor elements that precede and influence these final actions. So we may say that a prime cause of most accidents is mixture of human and organizational failures combined with the imperfection and weakness of the existing management system. Part 1 Let us consider the case of M/S Herald of Free Enterprise, which is a "roll-on roll-off RORO) car passenger ferry that sank on March 7, 1987, killing 193 passengers, owing to negligence by the crew and company operating the ship" ("Herald of Free Enterprise", December 2006). First of all let us define what went wrong in both operational procedures and implementation, and monitoring of the ship's staff, leading to the accident. As we know most of accidents happen due to combination of a number of various causes. Let us set the factors lead to the above-mentioned accidents in table represented in the Casualty Analysis Methodology for Maritime Operations (1999). Table 1: Grouping and sequencing of main events of the HFE disaster Event No. Management Officers Crew Vessel Contributory factors E1 Vessel was overloaded Inadequate control of passenger number and cargo intake. Time pressure d/n allow adequate control E2 Pressure to leave port early Delay at last port (Dover). Vessel entered this service at short notice E3 Bow door not closed by Assist. bosun Assistant Bosun at sleep. Just relieved from cleaning and maintenance duties E4 Bosun did not take action Did notice that door was still open. D/N see it as his duty to call Ass. Bosun, to close door, or notice the bridge E5 No indication of open door on the bridge Requested by vessel more than once. Not granted by management. E6 Chief Officer D/N ensure that door was closed Unable to check by himself; had to be on bridge 15 min before sailing. D/N seek confirmation from deck. Company standing order to accept "negative" reporting E7 Master did not ensure that door was closed D/N seek positive confirmation E8 Did not complete ballasting Considerable mismatch between deck and ramp. High tide. Required considerable time to ballast. E9 Leaves port still trimmed nose down High water spring tide. Considerable trim necessary in order to access deck E by ramp. Trimming not completed. Inadequate seamanship E10 Water enters through bow door on deck G Increasing bow wave and squat as speed is picking up. E11 Inadeq. capacity of scuppers to void water Not designed for this inflow rate E12 Free surface effect No sectioning of car deck E13 Progressive list to port side Not designed for this load condition Inadequate transverse stability Top-heavy design of vessel E14 Capsize 90 degrees heel and capsizing in shallow water Now let us discuss and evaluate the steps that should be take by the company management system to prevent re-occurrence of such an event. As was informed by BBC News (March, 6) formal investigation blamed company management for failing to give clear instructions about safety procedures. According to Boyd (1996). "A full investigation into the circumstances of the disaster leads inexorably to the conclusion that the underlying or cardinal faults lay higher up in the Company. The Board of Directors did not appreciate their responsibility for the safe management of their ships. They did not apply their minds to the question: What orders should be given for the safety or our ships" The first step that will assist the accident prevention is the implementation of the ISM Code (1993). The ISM Code provides an international standard for the safe management and operation of ships and for pollution prevention. That is why the question of vital importance for the company is establishment of a Safety Management System (SMS). The ISM demands from the Company ensuring that all personnel involved in the Company's SMS and understand of relevant rules, regulations, codes and guidelines. The main objective for the company's management system in order to prevent the re-occurrence of accidents is to establish and maintain an efficient Safety Program aiming to provide the appropriate tools and information necessary to create a safe, hazard free environment for all employees, crew and passengers. The Safety Management System is required to establish a "designated person." The ISM Code reads, "To ensure the safe operation of each ship and to provide a link between the company and those on board, every company, as appropriate, should designate a person or persons ashore having direct access to the highest level of management. The responsibility and authority of the designated person or persons should include monitoring the safety and pollution prevention aspects of the operation of each ship and to ensure that adequate resources and shore based support are applied, as required." It is the responsibility of the Master to maintain the vessel in a safe condition. The main Master's responsibilities in the Safety Management System are: 1. Ensuring safe and efficient day-to-day operation of the vessel 2. Complying with the laws of navigation and the entire body of statutes that regulate ships and seagoing matters 3. Maintaining the seaworthiness of the vessel 4. Implementing the Safety and Environmental Protection policies of the Safety 5. Management System 6. Motivating the crew in the observation of those policies 7. Monitoring and reviewing the Safety Management System and reporting any deficiencies to the company 8. Reviewing of the Safety Management System The Chief Mate, on behalf of the Master, shall be responsible for the compliance of the safety policies on the vessel. This responsibility includes but is not limited to conducting safety training as needed, surveying the vessel for safety issues, and being aware of operations to ensure activities are safely conducted. The Chief Mate shall conduct periodic safety meetings with shipboard personnel. It is obvious that company management system should make more emphasis on the need for highly trained personnel in order reduce the general level of risk on an average basis. Every new crewmember must to receive an orientation. In addition to this orientation, there are other policies and procedures that need to be followed when a new crewmember comes on board. Master is responsible for establishing and maintaining an orientation program for every new crewmember that comes on board. Though Master may delegate the conduct of the program to others under his command, it does not relieve the Master of the responsibility to ensure that each new crewmember receives proper orientation. Moreover there must be orientation no only for the crewmembers but also for passengers. Everyone who comes on board needs to have a very basic knowledge of safety. Everyone needs to know what to do for the basic emergency scenarios of fire, abandon ship and man overboard. In addition that person should know the procedures for reporting an emergency situation. It is the responsibility of the Master of the vessel to insure that non-crewmembers receive basic safety orientation on board their vessel. In order to conduct safe and effective procedures for ballast water management it should be worked out and followed a Ballast Water Management Plan. The other important issue is studying of current practices in accident investigation. It should be understood that the main aim of studying such practices is to prevent a similar accident to happen by identifying the circumstances that have lead to the accident. The using of advanced technology systems is one of the necessary conditions of keeping the safety on sufficient level. The using of such systems is able to avert some of the accidents. In accordance with the ISM Code the Company should carry out internal safety audits to verify whether safety and pollution prevention activities comply with the SMS, and periodically evaluate the efficiency and when needed review the SMS in accordance with procedures established by the Company. Part 2 Performance Appraisal Program (2002) states that the purpose of any performance appraisal program is employee development. Indeed, this goal is accomplished by assisting the employee to do a better job and by developing in the employee the skill and education to meet the future needs of the work. If you get work done through people (the definition of "management"), then it pays to have people working in a highly productive manner and feeling good about the work they are doing. In order to have a good appraisal it is important not only focus on evaluation but also on improving performance and developing the appraised by means of a well-prepared, honest and open discussion. The correct procedure for a performance appraisal interview presupposes that Appraised person should: 1. Clearly understand what is expected of him/her. 2. Be ready to manage confusion when overload occurs. 3. Get feedback on own performance. 4. Be attentively heard and enough respected. 5. Be completely ready to talk over priorities. 6. Be proposed constructive guidance on attaining agreed goals. 7. Receive help in constructing personal development plans and targets. 8. Have ownership of own performance. Appraiser (Chief Officer) should: 1. Consider the appraised person's knowledge and skills. 2. Study at first hand the way the appraised person works and performs. 3. In the course of interview to discover the appraised person's potential and needs. 4. Inspire and motivate the appraised person. 5. Develop a consistent approach to guidance and encouragement. 6. Do his/her best to improve the communication process. One of the best forms of appraisal is having informal one-to-one review discussions. In such discussions the work of a given appraised person may be fully discussed, reviewed and appraised by a Chief Officer using an agreed and understood framework. Such discussion should focus on: Behaviors and outcomes; Issues and problems; Constructive development to improve the appraised person's motivation, growth and performance. It is obvious that a performance appraisal is an important part of an effective staff management process, which is able to assist to the successful development of the company as whole. In case if appraisal's procedure is correct, it gives a Chief Officer an opportunity to higher the level of motivation, to increase productivity, and give positive feedback to employees, encouraging them to improve their daily performance letting apprised person's know the company's long-term goals. It should be mentioned that efficient regular appraisals would allow Chief Officer to get more true information team's personal skills and goals much more better then any application forms or certificates. In this case Chief Officer gets an opportunity to manage on a more bespoke level. To make the long story short we should say that performance and job appraisals are vital for managing the performance of people and companies. Revenue Budget A Panamax bulker is currently fixed on a time charter at $12,000 per day with a 5 % rate increase scheduled for 15th March. It is planned the vessel will dry dock for 21 days in February. The current charter will end on the 23rd of the June and the vessel will recommence on a new charter on the 1st of July at a rate of $12,500 per day, with a 3 % rate increase starting 10th of August. Draw up a monthly revenue budget for the period January to end of December. Days in period Off hire Days on hire Hire rate $/day Revenue $000's January 31 - 31 12000 372.0 February 28 21 7 12000 84.0 March From 1st to 14th 31 - 31 12000 168.0 From 15st to 31th 12600 214.0 April 30 - 30 12600 378.0 May 31 - 31 12600 390.6 June 30 7 23 12600 289.8 July 31 - 31 12500 387.5 August From 1st to 9th 31 - 31 12500 112.5 From 10th to 31st 12875 283.25 September 30 - 30 12875 386.25 October 31 - 31 12875 399.125 November 30 - 30 12875 386.25 December 31 - 31 12875 399.125 Total 365 28 337 4250.400 Conclusion Following the capsizing of the British ferry Herald of Free Enterprise in 1987, member governments at the International Maritime Organization began to realize that the role the shipping company plays in overall safety is of the utmost importance ("Overview of ISM Code, n.d.). A number of very serious accidents, which occurred during the late 1980's, were manifestly caused by human errors, with management faults also identified as contributing factors (IMO, n.d.). So we may say that ISM Code has been as a reaction to various disasters of the shipping industry. It is very important to remember that the majority of accidents happen due to combination of a number of various causes, so far as each of this causes by itself even if is dangerous, but hardly sufficient to achieve the catastrophic outcome. That is why the challenge facing the shipboard management is to find ways of identifying and neutralizing these causes before they combine together and result in an accident. Undoubtedly that it is impossible to prevent all the accidents, but in order to reduce their frequency and severity both companies' leaderships and staff should improve on their ability to learn from incidents. List of References 1. Anon. (2006) M/S Herald of Free Enterprise. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. [WWW document] URL http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.phptitle=M/S_Herald_of_Free_Enterprise&oldid=91981536 4 December 2006 2. BBC.co.uk (March, 6). BBC News. 1987: Hundreds trapped as car ferry capsizes. [WWW document] URL http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/march/6/newsid_2515000/2515923.stm 3. Boyd, Colin (1996) Case Studies in Corporate Social Policy, in Post, Frederick, Lawrence and Weber, Business and Society, New York. 4. Casualty Analysis Methodology for Maritime Operations (1999) National Technical University of Athens. . [WWW document] URL http://projects.dnv.com/themes/PrevProjects/CASMET/Final_Report_for_Publication.doc 4 December 2006. 5. International Maritime Organization. (n.d.) Safety Management. [WWW document] URL http://www.imo.org/HumanElement/mainframe.asptopic_id=182 , 5 December 2006 6. ISM Code: IMO Resolution A.741 (18). (1993) [WWW document] URL http://www.imo.org/Safety/mainframe.asptopic_id=287. 3 December 2006 7. Overview of ISM Code. (n.d.) [WWW document] URL http://www.iqco.com/technology/ismCodeOverview.php, 5 December 2006 8. Performance Appraisal Program. An Implementation Guide. (2002) Office of Human Resources. The University of Texas and Dallas. [WWW document] URL http://www.utdallas.edu/utdgeneral/business/hr/P_D_F/PA_Implementation_Guide.pdf 5 December 2006 9. Top Officers Suspended In British Ferry Disaster. (1987) The New York Times, July, 25. [WWW document] URL http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.htmlres=9B0DE5DC143DF936A15754C0A961948260 4 December 2006 10. Wreathall, J.& Reason, J.(1992) Human errors and disasters. Human Factors and Power Plants, IEEE Fifth Conference. 7-11 Jun 1992. Pages: 448-452. Read More