Bridge Team management

1. Bridge Team management • The aim : • To complete the voyage successfully & efficiently. • What makes it happen???? Bridge watchkeeping & Safe well planned Navigation. What doesnot???????? Loose organised bridge operations and the impression can be given that things will be all right,

2. The Answer : • Bridge Team Management It is more than a concept. Implementation of a way of working which recognizes that reliable & consistent standards can only be maintained if navigation is based upon sound principles & reinforced by effective organization. All oows should make best use of available resources , both human & material. To achieve the GOAL.(In this case the successsfull completion of the voyage)

3. The Team • All members have the roll to play. • Interaction required between the team members to make the system work. • It is not management by one person but a continous adaptation of all the team members to fulfill the team roles that they have been assigned. • Another factors are the technical knowledge & skill of the people involved.

4. Loosely organised bridge operations. Given the impressions that things will be allright. Unexpected occurs, Confusion rises. Difficulty in making Decisions & Possibility of the Error of Judgement. Error of Judgement

5. Accident by nature is unexpected. Most accident occur because there is no system to detect 7 consequently prevent one person making a mistake – A mistake of the type all human beings are liable to make. Never mind! Everything will be allright Accident :

6. ERROR CHAINS • Maritime accidents are never the result of a single event,they are invariably the result of a series of non-serious incidents which culminates into a error chain.

7. Error Chains • Situational Awareness: Knowing what is going around the ship – helps the OOW recognize that an error chain is developing & Taking such action based upon this awareness, to break the error chain.

8. Indications of Error Chain developments: • Certain signs in the bridge team indicate that an error chain is developing. It does not mean that accident is going to happen but it does indicate that certain elements of situational awareness may be lacking. To avoid the ship put to any risk, action is required to break the error chain.

9. Signs of Error chains: • AMBIGUITY: Let’s start with some examples; 2 independent & separate position fixing systems eg Radar & GPS positions-donot agree. Immediate action reqd to correct this ambiguity & determine which position is correct Echosounder reading doesnot agree with the charted depth. Now what is ambiguity here?? Less conscientioud OOW may just accept this fact; another maynot be satisfied & may try to determine why the difference. Ambiguity may exist between two team members upon a point of action. Ambiguity exists; of itself it may not be dangerous but it means that there is adifference and the cause of the difference may be understood.

10. Signs for the error chains:Ambiguity contd…Ambiguity may be on the deviation from the accepted produres not being followed; eg night order,master orders ,company orders.Ambiguity may be due to the result of inexperience or lack of training.The Junior officer may feel that he is not in a position to voice his doubts.Whereas if knows that his doubts or fears can be expressed without his being reprimanded might turn out to be a situation saving.

11. Signs of error chain contd.. • Distraction: The full attention of a person on one event to the exclusions of others. or Concentration upon irrelevancy can be an indication for the situational awareness breaking down, even for a short period. Reason: excessive workload, stress or fatigue, emergency conditions. example: a VHF call may occupy full attention of a person to the exclusion of other more urgent needs.

12. Error chain contd.. • Inadequacy and confusion: Feeling that the person concerned is losing control of the situation. example: the position fixing is not going as it shold & the person doesnot know what is going to happen next. Reason: lack of experience.

13. Error chain contd.. • Communication Breakdown: Poor communication both internal and external is an indication that situational awareness is at risk. Reason: May be lack of common language, procedural methods or plain misunderstanding.

14. Error chain contd.. • Improper conn or lookout Improper conning or poor look out may be the result of lack of situational awareness as well as its breakdown NON Compliance with Plan

15. Error chain contd.. • Procedural Violation: unjustified deviation from clealy definedand understood operating procedure is a cause of breakdown of situational awareness. A ship proceeding in a wrong lane in TSS. The oow may ask himself why this? One he is off the track & is direct violation of collregs. It is likely that he is not fully aware of the position of the vessel.

16. Casualties & Their causes: • Two principal factors seemed to be the main causes ofcollisions and groundings: • 1) Weaknesses in bridge Organisation • 2) Failure to keep a good lookout

17. Weaknesses in Bridge Organisation: • Setting double watches in appropriate circumstances. • Ensuring sufficient personnel are available in special circumstances. • Precise instructions for calling the master. • Posting Lookouts. • Manning the wheel. • An established drill fromchanging over from automatic to manual steering. • Precise instructions regarding reducing speed in the event of reduced visibilty.

18. Causesof groundings noted: • Failure to preplan a track. • Failure to monitor adequately the vessel’s progress along the planned track. • Failure to take immediate action to regain track having deviated fromit. • Failure to crosscheckfixes by comparing one means with another, (misidentification of a navigational mark or faulty electronic information.) • Failure to use visualfixing when available. • Failure to use an echosounder when making a landfall or navigating in constrained waters. • Failure to identify correctly navigational lights. • Failure to ensure that important navigational decisions are independently checked by another officer.(human errors cannot occur without being noticed & corrected.The organisation must be such as to minimise the risk of such errors going unnoticed)

19. Bridge Organisation: • An efficient bridge organization will include procedures that; • Eliminate the risk that an error on the part of one person may result in disastrous results. • Emphasise the nessity of good lookout & carry out collision avoidance routines. • Encourage the use of all means of establishing the ship’s position so that in case one method becoming unreliable others are immediately available. • Make use of passage planning & navigational systems which allow continous monitoring & detection of deviation from track when in coastal waters. • Ensure that all instrument error are known and correctly applied. • Accept a pilot as a valuable addition to a bridge team.

20. Individual role: • These procedures can only be achieved by each member realising that he has the vital role toplay in the safe navigation of the ship to the utmost of their ability. • Must appreciate that safety of the ship doesnot depend on the decisionofone person only. All decisions and orders must be carefully checked and their execution monitored. • Junior members should never hesitate to question a decision if they consider that such a decision is not in the best interests of the ship.

21. The Plan : • Preparation : • Execution • Prepration : is Appraisal & Planning. • Execution: Organisation & monitoring

22. Passage appraisal: • Passage appraisal is considered as the most important part of the planning as it is tha stage that all pertinent information is gathered & the firm foundation for the plan is built. • Information Sources; • Chart catalogue • Navigational charts • Ocean passages for the world • Routeing charts • Sailing directions • Lists of lights • Tide Tables. • Tidal stream atlases • Notices to mariners. • Routeing information • Radio signal information • Climatic information • Load line chart • Distance tables • Electronic navigational systeminformation • Radio & local warnings • Owner’s & other unpublished sources • Draught of the vessel • Personal experience • Mariner’s handbook

23. Passage planning: • Charts: All corrected to the latest NM recd and that any authentic nav warnings are included

24. Passage planning.. • No Go Areas: Areas where the ship cannot go should be hatched or highlighted taling care not to obscure any navigational marks or object. In confined waters,where tidal height may have large influence,such no go areas will depend on time of passage. All areas showing charted depths of less than the draught plus a safety margin should be considered no go areas.

25. Passage Planning… • Margins of safety: A safety of margin is required around the no go areas at a distance that in the worst probable circumstances,the part of the ship being navigated will not pass.(bridge) Margins of safety will show how far the ship can deviate from the track,yet still remain in safe water. As a general rule the margin of safety will ensure that the ship remains in waters of depths greater than the draught plus 20%. This may need to be increased in case of following cases; • The survey is old and not reliable. • Where the ship is rolling & pitching • Possibility that the ship may experience squat.

26. Passage planning: • Safe Water: Where the ship can deviate safelyand the limits are bound by the marginof safety. Distance Off: It is not possible to lay down hard & fast rules regarding the distance off a danger that a ship should maintain.It will depend on; • The draught of the ship relative to depth of water. • The weather conditions prevailing; a storng offshore wind,onset of fog will require an increase in distance off. • The direction & rate of the tidal stream. • The volume of the traffic. • The availability of the safe water. Where the coast shelves & offshore soundings increase gradually,the track should ensure that adequate underkeel clearance is maintained. Irrespective of the safe UKC, a ship in a situation where the nearest navigation danger is to starboardmust allow manouvering space to allow alterations of the course to starboard for traffic avoidance.

27. Passage Planning: • Underkeel Clearance: A normal rule is that 10% of the deepest draught. The OOW should be aware that if less than 10% than the OOW should be aware to reduce the speed.

28. Passage planning.. • Tidal window: In tidal areas adequate UKC may only be attainable during the period that tide has achieved given height. Outside that period the area must be considered “no Go” Such tidal windows must be clearly shown so that the OOW isnot in doubt as to whether or not it is safe for the ship to proceed.

29. Passage planning.. • Stream / Current allowance: before the ship approaches the coast ,it is better to make tidal /current corrections prior to its taking effect. Current information,set & rate is often available on the chart . Detailed info is given in Ocean Passages for the world, routing charts and the pilot books. Currents vary according to their location and the season. Tidal info is available on charts,tide tables ,tide atlases. OOW must carefully monitor the ship’s position and adjust the course steered to maintain the planned track.

30. Passage planning.. • Wheel Over: In the open sea & offshore coastal waters when navigating on small scale charts,course alterations will usually coincide with planned track intersections. In confined waters hen navigating on large scale charts and where the margins of safety may require the ship to commence altering course at the wheel over position some distance before the track intersection in order to achieve the new planned track. • Planned wheel over positions should be determined from the ship’s manouvering characteristics and marked on the chart • Suitable visual & radar cues then be hosen to determine when the ship is at the wheelover position.

31. Passage planning.. • Parallel Indexing: The parallel indexing is useful method of monitoring cross track tendency in both poor & good visibility.

32. Passage planning.. • Aborts & Contigencies: • ABORTS: in constrained waters the ship may be in a position beyond which it will not be possible to do other than proceed, termed the point of no return due to a falling tide & insufficient UKC. • A position can be drawn on the chart showing the last point at which the passage can be aborted and the ship not commit herself. • Reasons for aborting may be one of the following; • Deviation from approach line. • Machinery failure • Instruments failure • Dangerous situations ashore • Any situation where it is deemed unsafe to proceed.

33. Passage planning… • Contigencies: • Having passed the abort position & point of no return, bridge team stillneeds to be aware that events may not go as planned & that the ship may have to take emergency action. Contigency plans will have been made at the planning stage & clearly shown on the chart. • Contigency planning will include; • Alternative routes • Safe anchorages • Waiting areas • Emergency berths.

34. Passage planning. • Master’s approval reqd after the plan is ready. • Plan Changes: all members of the bridge team will be aware thateven the most thorough plan may be subject to change during the passage. • It is to be ensured that the changes are made with the agreement of the master and all other team members are asvised of such changes.

35. Executing the plan. • Tactics: Execution of the plan means methods used to carry out the plan including the best use of the possible resources. • Tactics should include the following; • ETAs for the tides • ETAs for the daylights • Traffic conditions • Destination ETA • Tidal streams • Plan modifications: in case of delayed dep or navigational equipments becoming unreliable, the plan shouls be modified. • Additional personnel : to manage the risks it may be necessary to • Call the master • To change from attended to manned machinery spaces. • To call an extra certified officer on the bridge • To call for manning the wheel, keeping the look outs etc • To call for deck duties such as preparing pilot ladders, clearing & standing by anchors, preparing berthing equipment,engaging tugs. • Briefingof personnel on their duties and continous updating . • Fatigue : to ensure that rested & unfatigued persons are available. • Voyage Prepration • Bridge Preparation.

36. Monitoring the ship’s progress • Fixing method: establish the positionof the ship • Visual Bearings: Three position lines are the minimum required to ensure accuracy. • Frequency • Regularity; fixing needs not only be accurate & frequent, it also needs to be regular. • Estimated position. Between two fixes donot coincide with EP, then the OOW is aware that something is wrong with the obtained position or some externalinfluence has affected the ship. • Soundings: echo sounder readings be checked asthat expected from the chart. • Cross track error. • International regulations for preventing collisions at sea. The rules of the Road. • Non-navigational emergencies, The bridge team should not allow the reaction to an em. Situation so dominate that the shipis diverted into an area of high danger. • Time management: Maintenance of ETA for destination of tides. • Look out: situational awareness is increased with the good lookout. • Underkeel clearance • Way points

37. Team Work • The OOW requires a man at the helm & also look out. • He should not hesitate to summon assistance to the bridge. The lookout should be properly instructed in lookout duties as to what is expected of him. • While the OOW shall the master on the bridge under some circumstances, will not transfer the conn from the watch officer to the master untill such times that the master actually declares that he has the conn. Once the master has taken the conn,the OOW goes into a supportive role, but is still responsible for the actions of his watch members.

38. Individual roles: • The master: Controls the movement of the vessel in accordance with the rule of the road and recommended TSS.Regulates the course and speed and supervises the safe navigation of the vessel & co-ordinates & supervises the overall watch organization. • The Watch officer: continues reporting all the relevant information to the master,ensuring that such information is acknowledged. He will monitor the executionof the helm & engine orders, co-ordinates all internal & external communication ,record all reqd entries in the logbook. • The look out and helmsman still carrying out their duties. • Additional navigating officer : will provide the master with radar based traffic info and general back to OOW on chart.

39. Navigating with Pilot on board: • Pilots are engaged to assist in navigation in confined waters ,to facilitate port approach,berthing & departure. • The master has the Ultimate authority & has the right to take over from the pilot in the rare event of pilot’s inexperience & misjudgment • Planning of the passage upto berth even when the connis with pilot • Master / pilot information card: The peculiarties of the vessel be made known to the pilot. The master may discuss with him planned route,anticipated speeds and ETA’s both enroute and at the destination, what assistance he expects fromshore such as tugs and what contigencies he has in mind. • Responsibilty with master for the safety of the ship. • Monitoring the ship’s progress and any deviations from the planned track be notified to master.