Circular Letter
MSC/Circ.1091
ISSUES TO BE CONSIDERED WHEN INTRODUCING NEW TECHNOLOGY ON BOARD SHIPS
(adopted
on 5 June 2003)
1.
The Sub-Committee on Standards of Training and Watchkeeping, at its
thirty-fourth session (24 to 28 February 2003), considered the increased use of
technology aboard ships and noted the demands for training that arise. The
Annex to this circular explores issues related to the training of seafarers in
using new and existing technology and systems aboard. It examines issues relating
to training seafarers to use equipment in a proper and effective manner,
challenges within this type of training, and human element issues relating to
how humans interact with technology and provides some guidance on how these
might be addressed.
2.
The Maritime Safety Committee at its seventy-seventh session (28 May to 6 June
2003) subsequently endorsed the guidance developed by the STW Sub-Committee and
approved this circular.
3.
Member Governments are invited to bring this circular to the attention of all
concerned.
ANNEX.
ISSUES TO BE CONSIDERED WHEN INTRODUCING NEW TECHNOLOGY ON BOARD SHIPS
1.
The introduction of technology onboard merchant ships has been increasing at an
accelerated rate. The effectiveness of crews to use the technology safely and
to best effect requires familiarity and thus training as recognised in the STCW
Convention.
2.
There are various aspects of how seafarers interact with the technology and
which issues should be considered when assessing the training needs for the
seafarers who use the systems.
3.
The first aspect is the training required to enable the seafarer to physically
use the equipment in a safe and effective manner. The second is assessing the
human element so that seafarers are trained to utilise the technology in order
to operate ships in a more safe and effective manner. The first is equipment
based, the second task based.
Issues to consider for the training of
seafarers Standardization
4.
Although some form of performance standards exist, many bridge systems,
engineering consoles and cargo systems vary greatly in their user interface
(layout of controls, displays and symbology) and functionality beyond what is
required as a minimum (added features requiring extra controls, menu options or
customised symbology). The result of non-standardized controls and displays is
an increase in the amount of training needed to make a seafarer familiar with
and effective in the use of the equipment.
5.
Increased training to facilitate the use of these systems however is not always
provided or achievable, such as when a pilot boards a ship or a seafarer joins
a ship just prior to departure. Training for different designs of equipment
ashore is also impeded by the financial difficulties of equipping a training
centre with multiple systems. Seafarers often find that the systems they are
required to use at sea are very different than those they have trained with
ashore.
6.
Some companies have found success in familiarising seafarers with equipment by
training them using simulators (either desk top or full mission) prior to the
seafarers joining their ships. This is made far more efficient where
manufacturers provide assistance in developing the training tools.
7.
A common interface with standard symbology for common operations is preferred,
and where systems are capable of being customised into non-standard displays,
the standard display should be able to be reverted to through a single and
obvious control feature.
In
summary:
- Pilots and seafarers need
to be familiar with the operation of onboard systems that they rely on for
decision making support.
- The proliferation of
different interfaces will result in an increase in training needs which may be
impractical or unachievable in many circumstances.
- If standardization of
interfaces and symbology is not achieved, type specific training for individual
systems may be required to achieve safe operations.
Challenges in training for technology
8.
There are many challenges encountered when assessing the training needs for
seafarers in using technology based systems aboard, some are cultural and
others are practical, but these issues have been raised and need to be
addressed if seafarers are going to be able to utilize technology based systems
to make good decisions.
9.
One difficulty that has been raised is that of cascade training. In many cases,
crews of new ships or ships retrofitted with new equipment may be trained
ashore in accordance with a manufacturer's recommendation or model course
criteria, but those initial crews will be required, due to financial constraint
to train their reliefs, in situ, in the proper use of the equipment, known as
cascade training. This leads to a situation where, for example the initial crew
might receive 3 - 5 days of specialist training for an ECDIS system, but are
required to pass this knowledge on to other watchkeepers during a brief
turn-over period. Additional aids such as Computer Based Training (CUT)
modules, used either aboard or prior to joining a ship, can improve the
situation, however technical manuals were reported to be poor training tools.
The issue of who should bear the costs of developing equipment specific
training (simulator, CBT or book based) is a further problematic issue.
10.
It has been observed that many young watchkeepers have a culture of using
information technology (home computers, Internet, video games etc.) and that
during times of stress revert to electronic displays for their primary decision
support systems. Inexperienced seafarers may seek more data and information in
stressful situations, often confusing themselves further. Problems can also
develop when novice navigators are trained on desktop simulators which do not
have the advantage of a simulated "window" for visual observation. It
was reported that this reinforces the habit to constantly rely on a digital
display for situational awareness during actual operations.
11.
Much of the training on new technology centres on the use of the equipment for
the sake of using the equipment rather than centred on using the technology to
assist the decision making process. Examples of this are officers who are very
proficient in operating Integrated Navigation Systems, but who continue to use
the system for decision support when other means are more appropriate, such as
in close quarters situations, or where various pilotage techniques can be used.
12.
The information supplied by navigation systems such as ECDIS and AIS can add
value and improve operations when used by well trained officers who understand
how to manage and prioritise the information, however the same information
provided to an officer without these skills can lead to information overload
and poor decision making.
In
summary:
- Cascade training for
onboard technology based systems (engineering, cargo, navigation,
communication) may not be adequate to ensure safe operation due to the
possibility of insufficient time to train, that the officer providing the
training may not fully understand the system themselves, or that the officer
may not be sufficiently capable to train or assess.
- There is a greater
familiarity and acceptance of electronic displays amongst younger officers due
to its wide use in modern society. There is a risk that although electronic
displays are designed to improve safety, insufficient training in their use can
be hazardous. Training for these systems must ensure that their operation is
fully understood, over reliance upon them is to be avoided and their use is
balanced with other appropriate means such as visual observation.
- Training in the use of
electronic systems must emphasise their use in assisting the decision making
process rather than simply the operation of the equipment itself.
Taking the human element into account when
introducing new technology
15.
Research has shown that automation has qualitative consequences for human work
and safety and does not simply replace human work with machine work. Automation
changes the task it was meant to support; it creates new error pathways, shifts
the consequence of error further into the future and may delay opportunities
for error detection and recovery (Luzhoft and Dekker 2002). Automation creates
new kinds of knowledge demands. Watchkeepers must have a working knowledge of
the functions of the automation in different situations, and know how to
co-ordinate their activities with the automated system's activities. This
manifests itself in situations where by officers do not understand weaknesses
or limitations of systems they rely on. An example is officers who do not fully
realise how an own-ships position on a chart display was derived. Training in
this respect will become more important as systems become more integrated and
sophisticated.