Hindustan Institute of Maritime Training

Chennai

BRIDGE TEAM MANAGEMENT

TOWARDS SAFER SHIPS THROUGH BETTER TEAMS

Why Bridge Team Management?

Navigation of a ship is a task whose outcome intention is always the same, but many a danger lurk
therein because:
❧ Different styles of navigation practiced at sea.
❧ Poor communication within the bridge team.
❧ Differences in training standards and styles. Standards of competency.
❧ Over-familiarity leading to faulty assumptions regarding the others intentions.
❧ Discontinuity in ship-manning and management.
❧ Lack of consistency and standardization in bridge procedures.

Team management- an introduction

❧ Like all knowledge based skills - bridge watch-keeping requires practice, support and
reaffirmation- left unattended, they tend to become casual.
❧ If bridge culture is uncritical, the interchange of information between the bridge team tend to be
‘assumed as understood’ without verification. Errors thereby get concealed.
❧ “Bridge team management” aims to introduce systems that ensure positive control of all events
and actions in the navigation of the vessel and the interaction of the team.
❧ It deals with the continuous adaptation of all the team members to fulfill their team roles assigned
or taken upon by them.

The concept & symptoms of “error chains”.

❧ Maritime accidents are rarely the result of a single event, most often then culminate from a number
of non-serious incidents, and add up through an ‘error - chain”.
❧ Situational awareness - of what is happening around - helps the OOW to recognize and “break the
error chain”
❧ Certain signs in the function of a bridge team will “indicate” the onset of an error chain, and
though the passage is progressing as per the plan, a latent problem is lurking. Unless the error
chain is broken, a serious accident may result.
❧ An ‘ambiguity’ in the bridge should ring a bell that should not be ignored. The ‘ambiguity’ may be
between two outputs from different equipment, between two observations of the same event or
between interpretations or motives. If one of the two are instantaneously ignored, you risk the
unchecked spread of the error chain.
❧ Blind eye to ‘deviation’ from procedures, how ever minor could be the catalyst for the ‘error
chain’.

Complied by Capt N. Jaijit Nair

 Hindustan Institute of Maritime Training
Chennai

Main causes of casualties & grounding:

Failure
❧ To double watches where necessary.
❧ Ensure sufficient manpower delegated.
❧ To give precise instructions for calling the Master.
❧ To post appropriate lookouts.
❧ To man the wheel where necessary.
❧ To follow established drills when changing from hand to auto steering.
❧ To give precise instructions on posting additional lookouts in poor visibility.
❧ To pre-plan a track.
❧ To monitor a vessels progress along a planned track.
❧ To take timely action in reverting to planned track.
❧ To cross-check fixes.
❧ To use visual posn-fixing means when possible.
❧ To use echo-sounder when making land fall.
❧ To correctly identify lights or landmarks.
❧ To cross check important navigational decisions.

AN EFFICIENT BRIDGE ORGANISATION:

Should include procedures to:
❧ Eliminate risk of errors of any one person going un-detected.
❧ Means to maintain efficient lookout and bridge-procedures.
❧ To use all available means as appropriate to cross check fixes and if one position fixing system
fails, another is immediately available.
❧ Make use of navigation and passage planning systems which allow continuous monitoring and
detection of deviations at an early stage.
❧ To check all instruments for errors regularly.
❧ Accept a pilot as a valuable addition to the bridge team.

TO PLAN A PASSAGE:
❧ Preparation ---- Appraisal and planning
❧ Execution ---- Organisation and Monitoring.

PASSAGE APPRAISAL:
❧ To use every information source that is available and necessary.
❧ Having collected all relevant information, to make a full appraisal of the passage.
❧ Ocean: Distance between ports, requirement of bunkers, stores etc.
❧ To take into account meteorological data, ocean currents, weather systems and load line zones.
❧ Coastal: Danger zones, traffic rules and schemes, restricted areas, minimum distances, depths,
coastal currents, no-go areas etc.

Complied by Capt N. Jaijit Nair

 Hindustan Institute of Maritime Training
Chennai

❧ The Master, being the final responsible person, needs to go through all the compiled information
and reasoning behind the plan, and ensure that it takes into account every possible contingency and
eventuality. He then should give the requisite directions for making the final plan.

PASSAGE PLANNING:
To be considered in two stages:
❧ Ocean and open waters.
❧ Coastal and estuarial.

Margins of safety to be considered:

❧ Ship dimensions, draft and physical and manoeuvring characteristics.
❧ Accuracy of navigational systems to be used.
❧ Tidal streams.
❧ Reliability of surveys.
❧ Weather conditions.
❧ Traffic conditions.
❧ Squat.
❧ Availability of safe waters around.
❧ Proximity of navigational hazards.
❧ Scale of charts used and extent of available data.

Laying of courses
❧ Clear and legible writing.
❧ Unnecessary entries removed.
❧ All extra-ordinary reasoning to be recorded.
❧ Safety parameters clearly shown.
❧ Instructions clearly entered.
❧ Unsafe and no-go areas/ safety boundaries clearly marked.
❧ All special information correctly indexed and marked.
❧ Waypoints, parallel indexing, Arpa mapping clearly marked.
❧ Primary & secondary position fixing and reference points, transit ranges and leading lights
highlighted.
❧ Fix frequency indicated.
❧ Reporting points.
❧ Safe havens / anchor points.
❧ Radar conspicuous objects and visual navaids marked.
❧ Buoyage systems indicated.
❧ Abort points, contingency plans, alternative options etc marked.
❧ Berth to berth details.
❧ Planning book maintained with all referred information in sequential and referenced order.

Complied by Capt N. Jaijit Nair

 Hindustan Institute of Maritime Training
Chennai

TEAM BRAIN STORMING:

❧ Master and all officers involved in navigational duties to be collectively appraised on the voyage
plan.
❧ To brief the officers on the reasoning behind the plan.
❧ Suggestions to be actively considered and incorporated if found appropriate.
❧ Plan modifications to be made after due deliberation.
❧ Manpower requirements planned.

APPROVAL:
❧ Master, after due consideration, and after satisfying himself of all the details, to duly endorse the
plan, and each officer to then counter-sign their understanding.

VOYAGE PREPARATION:
❧ Prepare the work space for the ensuing task.
❧ Ensure passage plan and supporting information is readily available.
❧ Charts in order, corrected and clearly sequence marked.
❧ Ancillary equipment kept ready. (azimuth rings, binoculars, sextant etc)
❧ Main navigational equipment and signals checked and errors recorded.
❧ Recording equipment checked and replenished.
❧ All communication systems tested and kept in readiness.
❧ Any new information appraised. (navtex etc)
❧ Controls and engines tested.
❧ Deck equipment secured.
❧ Notices posted.
❧ Fatigue levels evaluated, duty roosters prepared and delegated.
❧ Pilot arrangements kept in readiness.

VOYAGE MONITORING:
❧ Departure procedures, communications and records.
❧ Taking over watch procedures.
❧ Periodic fatigue and fitness evaluation.
❧ Passage monitoring and recording.
❧ Deviation authorisation or regularisation.
❧ Non-navigational emergencies rehearsed/ risk assessment made periodically.
❧ Time management evaluation for passage time and notices.
❧ Periodic bunker evaluation.
❧ Periodic equipment tests and error monitoring.
❧ Weather and routeing monitoring and assessment.

Complied by Capt N. Jaijit Nair

 Hindustan Institute of Maritime Training
Chennai

TEAM WORK:
❧ IMO resolution 285 requires that OOW ensures efficient lookout is maintained but concedes that
‘there may be circumstances in which the OOW can safely be the sole lookout in daylight.’
However, assistance must be ready to be summoned whenever he feels it is necessary. (Annex
B2). The onus of responsibility to ensure that the OOW is well supported is that of the OOW and
Master.
❧ At various times, the bridge is manned by a team of watch keeping personnel, and it is important
that team cohesion and co-ordination is perfect.
❧ When the bridge is manned by Master, Navigating officer and helmsman, the duties are clearly
apparent.
❧ Where the master calls upon an additional w-k officer. In such cases, the delegation of duties
should be clear and unambiguous. However, this does not exonerate any individual from the duty
of supporting and monitoring/ cross-checking the other.
❧ Internal and external communications should be clear and audible, such that all involved are aware
of the developments or information.
❧ When a master assumes direct control over the navigation of the ship, he should clearly inform the
watch keeping officer and all involved. The others then assume a supportive role.

NAVIGATION WITH PILOT ON BOARD:

❧ Communication
❧ Information exchange.
❧ Plan discussion.
❧ Responsibility.
❧ Monitoring.
❧ Support.

Accident Prevention - The Human Factor

This examines the importance of the human factor in accident prevention. When an accident occurs
the tendency is often to find someone to blame - usually the individual in charge - but this misses the
point. To improve safety we need to look beyond finding a scapegoat. It means taking into account
the human factor. It’s inevitable that human beings make mistakes - the goal should be to minimise
the consequences of such mistakes. That means good training and a teamwork approach, where those
on shore and those at sea work together in synergy to achieve their objectives. Mistakes occur due to
a combination of some aspects of psychology, and due to the effects of knowledge-based, rule-based
and skill-based behaviour. Errors in perception and memory could be the result of fatigue, lack of
mental application, distractions, incorrect allocation of attention, monotony and boredom etc.

Our memory, eyes and ears are all fallible and our brain can misinterpret things which have been
perceived correctly. State of health, fatigue and stress level can all drain mental resources and
increase the likelihood of error. Stress can be caused by difficult work situations, by physical

Complied by Capt N. Jaijit Nair

 Hindustan Institute of Maritime Training
Chennai

stimuli such as noise and heat, and by mental triggers such as fear and insecurity. There are ways
to deal with all these issues. First good training.

Secondly good management from the shore office ensuring that there are sufficient competent
people on board to do the work.

Third, good personal time management.

Fourth, keeping in good health and getting enough sleep.

Fifth, working each task to a standard operating procedure.

Finally, working with a management style where any errors made can be picked up by other team
members.

Emergency Procedures:

Training in coping with navigational emergencies is an important part of both shore-based and on-
board training, particularly for junior deck watchkeeping officers. They need to practice the steps that
need to be taken at the start of an emergency. By responding quickly and correctly, officers have
brought many emergencies under control and injuries, loss of life and damage to the ship have been
greatly reduced or eliminated. The first few moments of any incident are crucial. Introduction of the
ISM Code means that all ships have a manual detailing all the necessary procedures for effectively
responding to any emergency. This manual will form the basis of the response and all ship’s officers
need to familiarise themselves with it.

There are four principles:

Communicate

Get resources

Call the master

Start working to the pre-planned procedure.

The emergencies that should be part of routine drills shall include but not be limited to:

Gyro failure.

Steering failure

Fire

Man overboard

Main engine failure

Search and rescue. ……….. etc

Dealing with a sudden and unexpected emergency is one of the most demanding situations that ship’s
officers can experience. To be effective, officers need to know and understand the standard
procedures for the emergency as set out in the ship’s manuals. The procedures in your manual should
be set out in user-friendly ways, with easily read flow diagrams and checklists. If your manual does
not have these, draw some up and notify your safety superintendent. In every
Case, all officers need to be able to communicate calmly using the correct common language when
issuing instructions and passing on information during an emergency. Instructions must always be
repeated to ensure that both people understand what has been said. Finally, remember that whatever

Complied by Capt N. Jaijit Nair

 Hindustan Institute of Maritime Training
Chennai

else is happening on board, the prime responsibility of the officer on the bridge remains the safe
navigation of the ship.

Working with VTS:

When approaching or leaving a port, the on board management team need to inter-act with many
shore-based organisations. One of the most important of these is the vessel traffic service, the VTS.
Often the pilot is the link between the VTS and the ship but the ship’s officers must be ready to deal
with the VTS should the need arise. There are three different categories of VTS. It can be a simple
information service, a navigational assistance service, or it can be a traffic organisation service. It is
important that those on board know which type of service they are dealing with and the different
contributions the VTS operator and the ship’s officers can make to the safe passage of the ship. If the
ship’s management style is synergistic, the bridge team should have no difficulty in including
additional temporary members such as the pilot or VTS operator into the team. First contact with a
VTS is the initial notification. Although this is often considered to be routine, it is the basis of the
ship’s relationship with the VTS and so it’s important to get it right. It is often done by the ship’s
agent, but the ship must ensure that the agent has the right information. In all ports, the VTS operator
is effectively an extra member of the bridge team right up until the ship is alongside. If a problem
develops, engine or steering failure, fire or man overboard, the VTS operator if kept informed, can
alert the emergency services and broadcast warnings. Those on board should find out what the VTS
can and cannot do in their areas, preferably before their assistance is needed. The capability of the
VTS and size do not always go hand in hand. Some small ports have excellent and capable VTS. Find
out from reference manuals and the personal experience of the bridge team. If you have any queries
about the VTS ask them for information. The maritime world is always developing, but however
shipping changes, it is certain that the importance of the ship/port interface will increase. Those on
the ship will depend more and more on the services of their fellow professionals ashore. The key to
working with VTS will always be good clear communication.

Complied by Capt N. Jaijit Nair