CHAPTER 1

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Introduction

This chapter gives a brief introduction regarding the study by highlighting the
background of study, problem statement, objectives, scope of study, research
questions and significance of study. The aim of this study is mainly to assess the
effectiveness of Basic Safety Training among Labuan seafarer. In order to do this,
this study will examine the reaction and behaviour among Labuan Seafarers towards
learning and result. In response to the issue, it suggests that conducting safety
training will increase employee‘s performance towards safety, because creating a
safe culture in the organization enhances the level of safety performance by
carrying out safety training programs (Neal, Griffin and Ha, 2000).

1.2 Research Background

According to World Health Organization (2011), safety and health are two essential
elements employments perspective. In fact, it has become a main concern among
employees and their families. it is a continuing struggle between workers fighting
for the protection and prevention measures and the employees wish to deny or
reduce their liability for work-related illnesses and injuries (WHO, 2011). Based on
the data reported by WHO (2011), there are 160 million new estimated cases every
year and 1.1 million deaths associated with work-related illnesses and injuries
around the world which is almost equal to the total annual malaria deaths
worldwide. Besides that, Jiang et al. (2010) stated that one of the main issues in
the workplace is related to the injuries and accidents. Lending from the State
Administration of Work Safety (2207) reported that 112,822 workers lost their lives
in a 627, 158 workplace accident in 2006. This incident clearly shows that the
general averages of 320 workers are dying every day (State Administration of Work
Safety, 2007). In fact, in 2011, almost 3.0 million workers experienced nonfatal
workplace injuries and illnesses were recorded by private organizations (Bureau of
Labour Statistics, 2007).

Meanwhile, in the shipping industry, which is the focus topic of this study, it
is vital to make sure the safety in the workplace and eventually it is not an easy
task. International Maritime Organisation (IMO) stated that shipping is perhaps the
most international greatest industries and one of the most dangerous in the world.
The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (2014) reported on
maritime transport indicated that seaborne trade accounted for about 90 percent of
international trade. Besides that, the report also touched the world seaborne trade
increased by 3.3 per cent in 2013 and that the same to be expected to increase by
4.2 per cent in 2014. Nevertheless, Froholdt and Hansen (2010) analysed the
potential of seaborne trade is facing many challenges, not only in the deficit supply
of seafarers as reported, but also increasing concerns about the quality of the
current seafarers. Thus, this scenario might bring further consequences for maritime
in terms of safety, environmental protection, security, and efficiency on seaborne
transportation.

Furthermore, Bureau of Labour Statistics (2007) shows the statistics in

United States that every year around 4.1 million works that related to illnesses and
injuries are being reported. In this case, the number shows that there is a rate of
about 4.4 cases per 100 full-time employees. In 2001, In United States has
recorded USD125 billion cost in terms of work-injuries in the workplace, which make
the business struggle to face the increase in the health care costs (Goetzel et al.,
2002). At the same time, the United Kingdom also reported the cost between £14.5
and £18 billion for the work-related illnesses and injuries (HSE, 2000). Furthermore,
the number of cases in 2007 was 299000 which caused 34 million working days lost
(HSE, 2008). In Moreover, according to the Health and Safety Executive statistics on
fatal injuries in the workplace 2011/2012 in Britain, there were 49 deadly injuries to
employees in the shipping sector alone. This was lower than the average number of
59 workers in the last five years. The rate of fatal injury in construction was 2.3 per
100.000 workers, compared to the last five-year which is 2.5 per 100.000 workers
(HSE, 2011).
 However, Minter (1998) assert that the working conditions for industrial
workers today grown faster. Taking one example form Minter (1998), there is a
chance worker who was killed in an industrial accident is lessyt half of what it was
60 years ago. According to the National Security Council (NSC), the present death
rate of work-related injuries is approximately 4 per 100,000 workers, or less than
one-third of the value of 50 years ago (NSC, 2008). Up to now, improvements in
safety have been the result of pressure for legislation to promote safety and health,
the steadily increasing costs associated with accidents and injuries, and the
professionalization of safety as an occupation (HSE, 2009). Improvements in the
future may come as a result of the higher consciousness effectiveness and cost
competitiveness alloys derived from labour that is safe and healthy (HSE, 2009).
(Goh et al. (2011) also observe the improvement in occupational health and safety
(OHS) was created in the construction and engineering industries worldwide for
decades ago.

Therefore, there is so many things need to improve in the safety sectors. In

order to execute the goal, safety training play an important role in order to develop
and maintain effective risk and hazard control activities which will reduce the
exposure to danger within any organization. According to Langford et al. (2000),
worker safety training practices is very important in order for them to operate safety
awareness and therefore enhance the safety performance within the organization.
In addition, training is an efficient human resource tool in reducing accidents in
seafarer (Tam et al., 2002). This is because training helps to improve the skills and
abilities to identify hazards. Therefore, this study to examine the effectiveness of
basic safety training practices among seafarer and therefore improving safety
performance in Labuan.

1.3 Problem Statement

In The era of globalization, the subject of basic safety practice among seafarer has
getting more attention (Chockalingam and Sornakumar, 2012). In this context,
seafarer varies geographically in the methods, infrastructure, and facilities available.
Developing countries, especially Malaysia are challenged with providing quality
training and education than the developed countries, due to resource constraints.
Lending a report from Froholdt and Hansen (2010) stated that the EU policymakers,
nationals and industry have a dedicated responsibility “to ensure that education and
competence development is globally oriented and based on a high level of
excellence, in order to maintain industrial competitiveness and address the further
globalization that lies ahead due to the economic growth in developing countries.
Due to a general concern about the development of a variety of quality in global
education and training.

The EU addressed the safety training problems “t national levels and in the
European Maritime Transport Strategy (2008-2018), where it is sought to promote
transnational collaborations between European Maritime Academies and Training
Institutions and partnerships that work to establish ‘maritime certificates of
excellence’ (Froholdt and Hansen, 2010). Thus, to overcome the resource
constraint’s issues, they enhanced the collaboration among maritime training
institutions in Africa. Moreover, quality assessment is vital in order to make sure the
seafarers 3 acquire the requisite skills to work on ships. Also, there is a lot of
assessments focusing on the Maritime Education and Training (MET) providing
institutions and maritime administrations without taking the seafarers’ perspectives
on quality.

In the previous research, there are several researchers who stated the major
contribution of shipping industry in the world (Batalden & Sydnes, 2014; Chan,
Hamid, & Mokhtar, 2016; Chauvin, Lardjane, Morel, Clostermann, & Langard, 2013).
In the commercial shipping industry, the safety issue is a serious matter and is
ranked the topmost of all assessment of risks including vessel and cargo loss or
damage, crew injuries or fatalities (Lu and Tsai, 2010). According to many
researchers such as Chan et al., (2016), Hetherington, Flin, and Mearns (2006),
Veluplay, Mokhtar, Ahmad, and Halim (2014), they discussed about the importance
of shipping industry in the world market. Moving to the fact that shipping industry is
one of the most international of all the world's great industry yet one of the most
dangerous. The shipping industry has experienced a substantial number of incidents
and these include collision, contact, grounding, foundering, fire, capsizing and
sinking (Chan et al., 2016). Looking back to the incident in 1987, the Herald of Free
Enterprise (1987) vessel capsized due to the captain’s negligence in ensuring that
all the doors were closed during sailing. There is also the case of Estonia (1994)
where a passenger ship sank in the Baltic Sea and caused 852 fatalities (Ruponen,
2007). Other cases involving passenger ship are Titanic (1912) and 100 years later,
the Costa Concordia (2012). Ships that resulted in oil spills such as the Torrey
Canyon, Amoco Cadiz, Exxon Valdez, Erika and Prestige had affected a large area of
the coast and had led to many changes in the International Maritime Organization
(IMO) regulations. These major incidents open the world eyes especially public
interest because it resulted in the loss of human lives, property, and damage to the
environment. Givehchi, Hemmativaghef, & Hoveidi (2017) stated that most of
previous studies have evaluated trends of accident records as a lagging indicator of
safety performance in improving safety practices. Thus, Zohar (2010) asserts that
indicator is essentials in assessing safety and it is the most known indicator of
safety performance.

As a whole response to the problem in safety, the purpose of this study is to

assess the effectiveness of Basic Safety Training among Labuan Seafarer. the
validity and reliability items measurement of the questionnaire and influences of
safety training dimensions.

1.4 Research Question

In order to inscribe the fundamental issues in this study, the following questions are
raised:

1.3.1 What methods of learning are employed in Labuan Seafares institutions

and how satisfactory are these to seafarers?

1.3.2 What are the impacts and effectiveness of Basic Safety Training on
seafarers onboard ships in labuan?

1.3.3 What are the problems hindering the attainment of quality of Basic Safety
training of seafarers in Labuan?
 1.3.4 How can Basic saftey training in Labuan seafarer be enhanced and in
what ways can coordination be enhanced among Seafarers in Labuan?

1.5 Research Objective

Objectives are made based on the research questions. Thus, the objectives of this
study are:

1.4.1 To examine what kind of methods in safety training among seafarer

located in Labuan sea and the satisfactory of the method among Labuan
Seafarers.

1.4.2 To assess the effectiveness of basic safety training in terms of the

seafarer reaction, behavior, learning and results.

1.4.3 To identify the impact of basic safety training among Labuan seafarer and
the safety practices

1.4.4 To examine the relationship between the basic safety training and the
reaction and behaviour towards learning and result among Labuan
seafarers.

1.6 Scope of study

This study get the measure of the Basic Safety Training among Labuan Seafarer in
Labuan sea in terms of safety training and practices among seafarers. In this scope
of study, quality basic training interpret into how effective seafarers carry out their
duties on board ships, and seafarers are therefore better placed to offervaluable
insights into quality issues. Besides that, this study also focus on acomparative
assessment of quality of basic safety training in Labuan sea, with a view to giving a
better understanding of the nature of basic training among them while in the sea.
Additionally, this study will consider seafarers( within the officer ranks in the Deck
and Engine Departments on sea going vessels). The significant reason behind this is
beause the seafarers within the officer rank may have gathered higher experience
and training copared to those in the lower ranks, and would therefore offer broad
perspectives.
1.7 Significant of Study

In this study, we concentrate on the impact of basic safety training on the

relationship between safety among Labuan seafarers. Therefore, there are many
benefits that this research might be offer. Theoretically, this research also attempt
to fill the insufficient awareness in basic safety training which is directly affects
safety practices.

Contrary, there is a practical importance of this study which is to provide

information for approaching the issues of workplace safety in Labuan. In addition,
this research would assist the necessary area for improvement in safety aspects in
among the seafarers. This can be done based on safety climate factors that need
attention by the management. Finally, the survey addressed problems by
synthesizing the existing literature on basic safety training in order to develop a
better understanding of its nature, dimensions, and impact on operational safety in
shipping sector. Surely, this study would contribute to the body of knowledge by
assessing the effectiveness of basic safety training for the employee on its
relationship between safety performance in the shipping sector.

1.7 Conceptual and Operational Definitions

1.7.1 Safety Performance

By definition, safety performance has been known as the overall performance of an

organization ‘s safety management system in safe operations perspective (Wu,
2001). moreover, it is considered as a subgroup of the overall performance of an
organization. Anyhow, safety performance in the workplace can be defined as how
good or bad organization of survivors of sanctions for damage, injury, danger, or
risk to employees while performing their duties or responsibilities.

1.7.2 Safety Training Practices

Safety training is defined as a formal or an informal method to help individuals in

attaining knowledge, changing attitudes, or performing safe work behaviors
(Johnston et al., 1994). Hare and Cameron (2011) stated that safety training is the
process in which employees gain or expand knowledge to use it professionally and
becoming skilled in new areas, or acquiring incentive to perform a job in a specific
way to work safely. While, Cooper and Cotton (2000) claim that employees ‘safety
training is the company‘s first line defence against accidents and dangerous
situations.

1.8 Conclusion

The introductory chapter of this thesis presents the background of the research. It
also outlines the objectives, statement of research problem, statement of purpose,
research questions, scope study and significance of the study. In addition to that, it
provides important definitions of key terms of the study. Chapter two however, is
devoted to a review of the concepts of basic safety training, Kirkpatrick Model,
performance, and training. A conceptual model that will be predominantly used in
this research is presented towards the end of chapter two. In addition, the third
chapter provides an overview of research methods, research design and research
sampling framework.