Bridge Team Research Articles

Exploring Communication Barriers in Bridge-Teams: An Innovative Fuzzy-Bayesian Approach

The bridge teams on merchant vessels have a grave responsibility to guarantee the safe navigation and management of ships in the critical waterways of the world. In addition to maintaining effective communication between external stations (other ships-Vessel Traffic Service), it is crucial to ensure continuous internal collaboration among the bridge team in order to fulfil this important task to the highest standard. Nevertheless, the challenging working conditions and harsh environmental factors may impede the uninterrupted flow of information between bridge teams and disrupt the communication. Communication issues among team members are frequently mentioned as a root cause in maritime accident investigation reports. The aim of this research is to propose a novel model for identifying the factors that may cause to inadequate communication among bridge team members, employing a fuzzy Bayesian network (FBN) approach. As indicated by the findings, attitudinal and behavioural barriers exert a greater influence (43.3%) on communication than language barriers (41.5%), representing the most significant factors affecting communication. Environmental barriers and cultural barriers, on the other hand, have comparatively less impact, at 38.7% and 31.2%, respectively. The sensivity analysis also revealed that the root nodes exhibiting the highest degree of impacts were cultural barriers (31.2%), age differences (20.6%), and workplace issues (20.2%). The findings suggest that bridge communication refresher training programs are essential for the mitigation of the aforementioned barriers, and are expected to lead to the development of new strategies for the overcoming of these communication barriers.

Reference path for ships in ports and waterways based on optimal control

In the context of maritime transportation, waterborne shipping has developed quickly and attracted significant attention. This paper aims to propose a ship path planning model based on optimal control to provide reference paths for ships, prioritizing navigational efficiency and safety considerations. Based on the optimal control, the ship path planning problem is transformed into a multi-objective optimization problem, taking into account the speed constraints of ships during navigation. Then, the cost function based on the multi-objective optimization is constructed. Dynamic programming and numerical simulation are utilized to solve the value function, which is inducted to generate reference paths for ships. In addition, a case study including 12 Origin-Destination (OD) pairs in the Port of Rotterdam is conducted to generate reference paths. The simulation results showed that the model is proven to have high applicability in generating reference paths of ships navigating within the confines of port waters. By enhancing navigational safety and efficiency, the model could be used to provide invaluable guidance to both the bridge team and pilotage work.

Bibliometric and Qualitative Analysis of Workload Studies in the Maritime Sector

Maritime traffic is a socio-technical system that requires the collaboration of many elements such as stakeholders, equipment, environment, and technology. The workload for stakeholders in marine traffic has increased due to the growing number of monitored ships in coastal areas, as well as the variety and amount of operations. This study aims to conduct a comprehensive analysis of workload studies conducted in the maritime domain, encompassing all stakeholders. In doing so, the goal is to reveal changes over the years, identify collaborative areas, and enhance the understanding of the concept. The Scopus and Web of Science (WoS) databases were used as the data collection tool. A search was conducted with keywords associated with the concept of 'workload in maritime,' leading to the analysis of 372 relevant documents. VOSviewer Bibliometric Data Analysis Tool and MAXQDA Analytics Pro 22 Software were employed in the analyses. After the data from the two databases were combined, it was found that the authors with the most publications (P) and citations (C) in this field are Murai K. (P-41; C-200), Hayashi Y. (P-30; C-196), and Okazaki T. (P-15; C-82). With 56 publications, Japan is in first place, followed by the US (39), China (35), and the UK (27). Additionally, Japan and the US are two countries in collaboration. Among the commonly used terms in this research are mental workload, vessel, safety, performance, human factors, tiredness, simulator, and physiological measuring techniques including heart rate, nasal temperature, EEG, and salivary amylase. In workload studies, psychosocial variables were most prominently expressed in 2021. While the analysis of workload studies indicates a focus on “mental workload” studies involving Vessel Traffic Services Operators (VTSOs), research related to seafarers, cadets, marine pilots, and ship masters is seen to dominate this field which is “bridge team”.

TEACHING COLREGS AT MARITIME ENGLISH LESSONS

The article substantiates the necessity of teaching the Collision regulations at the Maritime English lessons in higher maritime educational institutions in order to increase nautical students’ knowledge and ability to apply Colregs in required circumstances and as the final result it could help to decrease the number of collisions at sea. The paper demonstrates the sequence of activities for thorough study of the Colregs at the Maritime English lessons. It is recommended that each lesson devoted to Colregs study is organized in accordance with communicative and contentbased approaches and the requirements of IMO Model Course 3.17. The structural parts of the lesson are starter, presentation, practice and production, each of with includes different types of activities for practicing Colregs. The interactive tasks are aimed to engage students emotionally in the material, to activate their knowledge, to practice using the new language accurately, to integrate the new language items in communication activities. The activities are based on authentic documents, real-life scenarios and official maritime accident reports. Internet resources and information technologies should also be implemented in classroom and independent Colregs study in order to increase students’ interest and motivation, and give them opportunity to improve their Colregs knowledge and English skills even while on the voyage. The essential competency which students will be able to demonstrate is to summarise the necessary and appropriate actions of the bridge team members in manoeuvers and collision avoidance situations according to Colregs. The findings of this paper can be used by Maritime English teachers in lessons planning and will aid students in learning and understanding Colregs through language learning in compliance with the STCW requirements and the Model course Maritime English.

Ship navigation from a Safety-II perspective: A case study of training-ship operation in coastal area

This study presents how resilience is incorporated in the everyday operation of a ship from the Safety-II perspective. The study identifies the contribution to ship safety owing to the bridge team's performance in navigating the ship. A qualitative observation and the functional resonance analysis method have been applied to analyse officers’ everyday performance. Essential functions of officer activities onboard are generated via direct observation and semi-structured interviews on the training ship Fukae-maru. System activities are modelled in terms of how the actual work happens. The specific dynamic functional model of ship navigation is obtained to further express the dynamic work of the watch officers. The result indicates that the ship officer's adaptability and flexibility beneficially contributed to the system's ability to monitor, respond, learn, and anticipate. This resilience was distinctly demonstrated through function and couplings. Furthermore, this study acknowledges human functions as a resource to cope with the complexity escalation that results from technological development for future maritime transportation.

Stakeholder-Engaged Research: Examples From Aphasia

The other research ... it's like guinea pigs ... they tell you what is about and really you can't change it. —Participant B.G. from McMenamin et al. (2021, p. 6) In this issue of Topics in Language Disorders, Guest Issue Editor Dr. Jacqueline Hinckley invited research teams to share work influenced by stakeholder engagement via Project BRIDGE, a PCORI Eugene Washington Engagement-funded stakeholder engagement effort. As guest issue editor, she carefully crafted this issue to cover various types of stakeholder engagement and various outcomes of this process. First, Brancamp (2023) shares about the influence the project BRIDGE team had on her ongoing project related to posttraumatic growth in aphasia. Next, Szabo et al. (2023) describe the intersection of the Life Participation Approach to Aphasia with stakeholder engagement in aphasia research. Then, Off et al. (2023) describe their research, with students as engaged stakeholders further expanding the view and approach of stakeholder engagement in pedagogical research. The next two articles by Strong et al. (2023) and Madden et al. (2023) highlight the process and outcomes of stakeholder engagement in research about friendship and aphasia.1 Finally, Kim et al. (2023) describe how their team, which included multiple stakeholders, conducted a project about creating more aphasia-friendly retail businesses in their area. In summary, Dr. Hinckley and the authors of this issue (many of whom are stakeholders) provide multiple perspectives of the different strategies and approaches to stakeholder-engaged aphasia research. —Sarah E. Wallace, PhD —Gary A. Troia, PhD Co-Editors

Path planning for ships assisted by the icebreaker in ice-covered waters in the Northern Sea Route based on optimal control

This paper aims to develop an innovative model based on optimal control to optimize the shipping path of the fleet, including icebreakers and following ships in continuous time and space in the Northern Sea Route (NSR) waters, considering the influence of breakable and unbreakable ice. Path planning assumptions of ship navigation in ice-covered waters are summarized by considering navigation efficiency, navigation cost, icebreaking cost, and safety. The objective function of the model based on optimal control is formulated to convert the path planning problem into a multi-objective optimization problem. The cost functions based on path planning assumptions are specified in the objective function. Finally, dynamic programming and numerical simulation are used to solve the multi-objective optimization functions. Then, the optimal path in continuous time and space in ice-covered waters in the NSR is obtained. A case study of four scenarios, considering breakable and unbreakable sea ice conditions in the NSR, is conducted to verify the strength of the proposed model. The case study results show that the proposed model can optimize the path of ships in ice-covered waters. The method proposed in this research could guide ship fleet path planning for the bridge team and improve icebreaker management in the NSR.

ПЕРСПЕКТИВИ СУЧАСНОЇ ПРАКТИКИ МОРСЬКОЇ ОСВІТИ І ПІДГОТОВКИ В УМОВАХ ДИСТАНЦІЙНОГО НАВЧАННЯ

This paper considers the problem of maritime education and training of navigators in the context of modern distance learning conditions. The constant expansion of the world fleet in order to maintain productivity at a high level entails increased requirements for the qualifications and training of seafarers. In particular, for a correct assessment of the situation, the necessary condition is a combination of deep knowledge of the equipment operation and its practical significance, with proper bridge team management. According to statistics from open sources, the predominant cause of accidents sets on operators' actions or decisions. Thus, the technical skills and behavioural aspects of the navigation team have to be reviewed from an educational perspective. Concurrently, training efficiency can be increased by taking into account the limiting factors of the present day, which decrease the performance of classic methods of education. Curriculum priorities should be based on maritime accident data, and training methods should use modern technical means, expanding the boundaries of existing practices. On the other hand, in order to ensure complex preparation for navigational operations, it is useful to carry out training sessions with all parties involved. In addition, attention should be paid not only to the qualifications of merchant ships crews but also to the appropriate training of pilots and tug captains, since ignorance of the causes of loss of tug controllability and stability by any party may lead to an accident. Existing papers on classical and innovative tools and equipment used in MET (Maritime Education and Training) were analyzed, including the use of VR in the maritime education sector. A complex study of the problem includes a preliminary analysis of accidents, a review of modern methods used in MET, their limitations, and observations of educational practice at the National University “Odessa Maritime Academy”, including a questionnaire. The paper proposes possible prospects for the development and quality improvement of maritime education for navigators from the perspective of modern reality. Keywords: maritime education and training, maritime resource management, virtual reality, simulators, multi-vessel, distance learning, autonomous ships, human factor.

Assessing Cyber Risks of an INS Using the MITRE ATT&CK Framework.

Shipping performed by contemporary vessels is the backbone of global trade. Modern vessels are equipped with many computerized systems to enhance safety and operational efficiency. One such system developed is the integrated navigation system (INS), which combines information and functions for the bridge team onboard. An INS comprises many marine components involving cyber threats and vulnerabilities. This study aims to assess the cyber risks of such components. To this end, a methodology considering the MITRE ATT&CK framework, which provides adversarial tactics, techniques, and mitigation measures, was applied by modifying for cyber risks at sea. We assessed cyber risks of 25 components on the bridge by implementing the extended methodology in this study. As a result of the assessment, we found 1850 risks. We classified our results as 1805 low, 32 medium, 9 high, and 4 critical levels for 22 components. Three components did not include any cyber risks. Scientists, ship operators, and product developers could use the findings to protect navigation systems onboard from potential cyber threats and vulnerabilities.

Analysis of causal relations of marine accidents during ship navigation under pilotage: A DEMATEL approach

Marine accidents cause many irreversible losses for life, property, and the environment. Moreover, accidents occurred in coastal areas cause even more. As a precaution, marine pilotage plays a key role in the safety of navigation. However, accidents still occur in coastal areas even if the pilot is on board. The paper, therefore, focuses on ship accidents that occurred while pilot is on board. In addition to pilot, as many complicated factors affect ship navigation in coastal areas and contribute ship accidents, solving intertwined relations between factors is essential to understanding accidents reasons. In this study, 32 factors contributing to ship accidents were identified based on accident investigation reports obtained from Global Integrated Shipping Information System (GISIS) and expert opinion. These factors were analyzed by using DEMATEL (Decision Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory) method to solve causal relations between factors. The findings showed that the human and ship related factors are the most significant main categories in the accidents under pilotage. In addition, their sub-categories which are crew training, ship condition, length over all, ship draught, master experience, pilot experience, and bridge team management have the most critical effect on the occurrence of accidents. It was concluded that there is a need for highly collaborative and fruitful relationship between master and pilot to provide safe navigation. Accordingly, effective control and preventive measures, which also provide a deeper understanding of safety management in the dangerous water are extensively discussed. Consequently, the obtained results provide valuable information for maritime transportation safety.

Human reliability analysis of conventional maritime pilotage operations supported by a prospective model

One of the most critical phases of a ship voyage is the port arrival and departure. In addition to the conventional bridge team, these activities also employ maritime pilots with advanced local knowledge to support the safe navigation. Recent works addressed the risk assessment of maritime pilotage operations based on expert opinions, AIS data, and accident reports. Despite these efforts, it is still hard to determine the extent of this contribution and the main factors driving the operation success. Looking forward to advance in the direction of better understanding the contribution of the human and organizational factors in maritime pilotage operations, this paper proposes a methodology for human reliability analysis (HRA) supported by the prospective Technique for Early Consideration of Human Reliability (TECHR) combined with Bayesian Networks (BNs). For a generic operation, the results suggest that employing one additional pilot onboard reduces the accident probabilities by about 2.38 to 3.49 times, while removing a pilot increases the accident probability by about 5.15 to 8.92 times (both compared to a base scenario with one pilot onboard). Additionally, the sensitivity analysis revealed the most important performance shaping factors (PSFs), which include domain knowledge, training & experience, and safety culture.

Conflicts Encountered with Bridge Team from the Perspective of Vessel Traffic Service Operators: A Research Within E-Navigation Concept

The hazards that threaten marine navigation safety in the intensive routes and critical straits need to be managed effectively. To manage these risks, the concept of e-navigation has been offered to all stakeholders of marine transportation. E-navigation basically aims to organize, serve, and exchange marine information systematically. It is considered that the relations between the stakeholders may constitute significant conflicts in exchanging marine information. The main purpose of this study is to reveal the sources of conflicts and risk scores on navigation operations encountered with the bridge team from the perspective of vessel traffic services operators (VTSOs). In order to determine the sources of the conflicts, the conflict-related literature has been thoroughly reviewed, a semi-structured interview form was developed, and the VTS supervisors have been interviewed. In discovering the sources of conflicts, content analysis has been carried out from the interviews. The findings have been discussed with the relevant experts, and risk scales have been developed to evaluate the risks of conflicts. The frequency of conflicts and the results have been evaluated by the VTSOs employed at the Center of VTS in İstanbul, and risk scores have been defined. The risk scores related to the conflicts indicated on the risk matrix and e-navigation designed solutions have been compared and discussed. The findings reveal that there are certain similarities between the high-scored risks regarding communication quality and reporting systems. Although e-navigation solutions focus on improving technical issues. Conflicts caused by interpersonal, cognitive, and personal features that are not covered by e-navigation solutions have an important place among the conflict sources.

A Resident-Led Intervention to Increase Initiation of Buprenorphine Maintenance for Hospitalized Patients With Opioid Use Disorder.

Hospitalized patients with opioid use disorder (OUD) are rarely started on buprenorphine or methadone maintenance despite evidence that these medications reduce all-cause mortality, overdoses, and hospital readmissions. To assess whether clinician education and a team of residents and hospitalist attendings waivered to prescribe buprenorphine increased the rate of starting patients with OUD on buprenorphine maintenance. Quality improvement study conducted at a large, urban, academic hospital in Maryland involving hospitalized patients with OUD on internal medicine resident services. We developed a protocol for initiating buprenorphine maintenance, presented an educational conference, and started the resident-led Buprenorphine Bridge Team of residents and attendings waivered to prescribe buprenorphine to bridge patients from discharge to follow-up. The percent of eligible inpatients with OUD initiated on buprenorphine maintenance, 24 weeks before and after the intervention; engagement in treatment after discharge; and resident knowledge and comfort with buprenorphine. The rate of starting buprenorphine maintenance increased from 10% (30 of 305 eligible patients) to 24% (64 of 270 eligible patients) after the intervention, with interrupted time series analysis showing a significant increase in rate (14.4%; 95% CI, 3.6%-25.3%; P = .02). Engagement in treatment after discharge was unchanged (40%-46% engaged 30 days after discharge). Of 156 internal medicine residents, 89 (57%) completed the baseline survey and 66 (42%) completed the follow-up survey. Responses demonstrated improved resident knowledge and comfort with buprenorphine. Internal medicine resident teams were more likely to start patients on buprenorphine maintenance after clinician education and implementation of a Buprenorphine Bridge Team.

Experimental study on the effects of a single simulator-based bridge resource management unit on attitudes, behaviour and performance

AbstractThe objective of this work was to assess whether the implementation of a bridge resource management (BRM) unit into the simulator-based nautical training of the German Navy is effective in improving non-technical skills and navigation performance. To this end, questionnaire data, observations of behaviour and performance outcomes were compared between a control group and an experimental group. Data of 24 bridge teams (126 sailors) were used for the analyses. Ten teams received BRM training and 14 teams served as the control group with unchanged simulator training. Reactions to simulator training were positive in both groups but more favourable in the control group. In the BRM group, significantly more positive attitudes towards open communication and coordination, more frequent sharing of information and fewer collisions were found than in the control group. Effect sizes were rather small. This may be due to the limited scale of the BRM unit, which consisted of only one instruction-training-feedback cycle. The extension of BRM-related feedback to all simulator runs of the nautical training can be expected to produce larger effects on attitudes, behaviour and performance.

Alternative cardiac intensive care unit locations during the COVID-19 pandemic at an academic medical center

Alternative cardiac intensive care unit locations during the COVID-19 pandemic at an academic medical center

Safety strategy as an actual resource for forming modern marine corporate culture in marine education standards

The article discusses the impact of training methods for seafarers on the formation of professional teamwork skills necessary to ensure sealift safety and analyzes the prospects for further use of this type of training in the context of Russian professional maritime education.. The article focuses on corporate culture of cadets of marine specialties as a factor in the continuity of the corporate culture of the university and the marine subculture and determine its external and internal order. On the basis of Kerch State Maritime Technological University, as part of the study of marine corporate culture, a study was conducted of the state of no technical skills of cadet in “bridge team” (BTM) training courses, navigational training practice. The process of practical training, according to the results of the study, is the most effective tool for building teamwork skills.

Situation Assessment—An Essential Functionality for Resilient Navigation Systems

This paper discusses the application of resilience engineering principles by shipborne navigation systems. As a technological system, the ship navigation system comprises all the communication and navigation equipment required to operate a ship. If examined as a socio-technological system, one has to additionally consider the use of the ship navigation system by the bridge teams in order to perform the nautical profession in terms of safe and efficient ship navigation, taking into account environmental information received by communication. The first part of this work discusses the theoretical background of resilience engineering and situation awareness. Case studies are used to illustrate under which conditions the application of resilience principles may result in an improvement of the operational reliability. With the help of simulations, it is shown that a sub-optimal implementation and utilization of resilience principles may decrease the robustness of the technical ship navigation system, as well as the reliability and adaptability of the ship navigation system in use. The examples illustrate once again that monitoring is one of the four cornerstones of resilience: anticipating, monitoring, learning, and responding. This is due to the effectiveness of most resilience principles depending on the availability and trustworthiness of situational information in relation to system status and environmental conditions, irrespective of whether the generation and use of the situational information is machine-made or human-made. Therefore, the establishment of situation awareness is an essential accompanying functionality to be considered in design, operation, and use of resilient systems.

Effectiveness of a simulator-based bridge resource management training module in the German Navy

IntroductionEmpirical data on the effectiveness of BRM trainings is still sparse and as far as studies were published, not very encouraging. Both O’Connor (2011) and Rottger, Vetter & Kowalski (201...

Active Whale Avoidance by Large Ships: Components and Constraints of a Complementary Approach to Reducing Ship Strike Risk

Lethal ship-whale collisions (‘ship strikes’) constitute a recurring threat to large cetaceans across the globe. Here we describe ‘active whale avoidance’ defined as a mariner making operational decisions to reduce the chance of a collision with a sighted whale. Development and application of a conceptual model of whale avoidance model demonstrated that any activities/operations that increase detection at larger ship-to-whale distances can increase the range of response options for the ship operator, enhancing whale avoidance because (1) the opportunities for detecting a surfacing whale are often limited, (2) the cumulative probability of detecting one of the available ‘cues’ of whale’s presence decreases with increased ship-to-whale distances, and (3) a series of steps must occur before the ship can achieve a new (risk lowering) operational state. Identified options for enhancing whale avoidance include training Lookouts to focus search efforts on a ‘Cone of Conern’, defined here as the area forward of the ship where whales are at risk of collision based on the whale and ship’s transit/swimming speed and direction of travel. Standardizing protocols for rapid communication of relevant sighting information among bridge team members can also increase avoidance by assuring information is of sufficient quality to be ‘actionable’. We also found that, for some marine pilots in Alaska, a slight change in course tends to be preferable to slowing the ship in response to a single sighted whale, owing, in part, to the substantial distance required to achieve an effective speed reduction in a safe manner. Yet, planned, temporary speed reductions in known areas of whale aggregations is commonly practiced, highlighting the value of real-time sharing of whale sighting data by mariners. Finally, development of these concepts in modules in full-mission ship simulators can be of significant value in (a) training inexperienced mariners (2) helping regulators understand the feasibility of avoidance options, and (3) identifying priority research threads. We conclude that application of active whale avoidance techniques by large ships is a feasible yet underdeveloped tool for reducing collision risk globally, and highlight the value of integrating ideas across disciplines to finding solutions to mutually desired conservation outcomes.

Application of the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK) in an Interdisciplinary Capstone: The AISC Steel Bridge Competition

Seven West Point Cadets recently competed in the American Institute of Steel Construction (AISC) Steel Bridge Competition for their capstone project. West Point capstones allow cadets to demonstrate their practical, innovative, and hands-on solutions to complex problems, serving as an opportunity to demonstrate characteristics required of Army leaders. For purposes of meeting guidelines established by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET), the capstone serves as a culminating major engineering design experience in at least two civil engineering contexts. It incorporates engineering standards and allows students to apply knowledge and skills from previous coursework. Historically consisting of all civil engineers, this year’s interdisciplinary Steel Bridge Team included a systems engineer major for the purposes of improved project management. As tomorrow’s leaders are asked to solve complex problems and win in an uncertain tomorrow, the need for graduates to have the skills required to organize chaos, manage risk, establish a schedule and plan, and adapt to change are more important than ever. This paper, organized by the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK) Process Groups of Initiating, Planning, Executing, Monitoring and Controlling, and Closing, documents the implementation of project management principles towards the West Point Steel Bridge Team’s success and their development as future leaders.