SITUATIONAL AWARENESS

B.E.R.M. COURSE
IMTC, Mumbai
 Objectives
By the end of this module the participant will be able to :
• Understand what Situational Awareness is, and how it
is achieved.
• Describe the various states of the mind and how they
can affect situational awareness
• Know the contributing factors that may result in these
mind-states
• Discuss the methods of avoiding loss of situational
awareness.
 The scene on board …...
Operation of ships is a round-the-clock
business which involves long duty hours for
the ship’s staff
Coupled with this are repetitive routines, and
very hectic or slack activity periods
This makes it sometimes difficult for the
person on duty to retain an optimum ‘state of
the mind’ throughout the duty hours
Possibility of accidents increase in the
‘dangerous states’
 Situational Awareness
Having and maintaining a realistic
understanding of the situation by constantly
asking oneself :
– Where am I ? What is happening?
– Where will I be next minute / hour …. ?
– What resources do I have ?
• Effectively monitoring the information
displayed
• Do not put blind trust in technology
 The Six States
Zero : Alert

Plus One : Concerned

Plus Two : Worried

Minus One : Inattentive

Minus Two : Unwary

Three : Panicked
 Alert State
• The ideal state - everything under control, all
systems functioning well !
• Proper attention being given to all aspects of the
work.
• Workload is normal
• Stress level in normal
• The mind is alert and responsive
• Situational Awareness is good !
 Concerned State
• Some particular aspects of the work demand special
attention e.g
– Machinery breakdown , Alarms
– Approaching or potential danger
• Workload may become high as action needs to be
taken
• The situation is under control, but stress may be
building up
• The mind is alert yet anxious or concerned
 Worried State
• Danger is imminent and/or the situation might
get out of control !
• Immediate action is required to deals with the
emergency
• Workload may become too high (Overload)
• Stress may be high
• The mind is agitated or alarmed and all energy
is diverted to solving the problem
 Inattentive State
• Everything appears to be going fine
• Just simple routines to be followed - no
special effort required
• Workload is light
• Concentration towards the task is wavering
due to various reasons
• The mind is inattentive to the task at hand !
 Unwary State
Same as the inattentive state, except that
• A dangerous situation has developed
• This has not yet been realized due to lack of
attention
• Some routines or procedures may be
forgotten or neglected
• The mind is uncaring about the task at hand
 Panicky State
• There is Chaos - the situation is out of control !
• Actions may be contrary to the person’s
knowledge and skills (Spontaneous
incompetence)
• The mind could get ‘frozen’ or go into denial
• Somebody else needs to step in and take over -
Best of luck !
 Group Discussion

What factors can contribute to the

various states of the mind ?

Please give reasons

 Some of the Factors ….
• Attitude / Motivation
• Complacency
• Knowledge / Skill / Experience
• Stress
• Workload
• Physical state
• Lack of training / unfamiliarity
• Dependence on automation
 The Dangerous ‘Plus’ State
• Transition from Zero to +1 state is obvious
- something has happened (e.g. alarms )
• As soon as +1 (Concerned) state develops,
use all resources to solve the problem so
that the +2 state (Worried) is averted.
Main factors :
– Training, Workload, Competence, Experience,
Drills, use of equipment & technology
 The Dangerous ‘Minus’ states
• Transition from ‘Zero’ to -1 state may not
be obvious - one needs to recognize the
signs :
– Boredom, Tiredness, Complacency, etc.
• No sooner that -1 state is detected, steps
need to be taken to revert to ‘Zero’ state :
– Motivation, increasing activity, workload, job
rotation, stimulation
 Group Discussion

What is the role of technology and

automation in the various states of
the mind ?
 Transition of States of the Mind
• Transitions can occur quite rapidly
• Transition into plus states from Zero can be reversed
• Transition from -1 state to Zero can be made directly
or through +1state
• Transition from -2 state to Zero will likely be made
through +2 ; however, chances are that this will not be
direct
• Such transition may pass through 3 (panic) or get
stuck there
 Summing up ...
• States of the mind during work are in six categories from
‘Alert’ to ‘Panicked’
• Different teams members may be in different states of mind at a
given moment
• Experience is useful in handling the ‘Plus’ states, but there is a
danger of slipping into ‘minus’ states if it leads to complacency
• The transition from -2 to +2 via 3 is most undesirable as the
confusion may lead to serious errors.
• We must guard against the extreme states and always be
situation-aware!
Thank you !