Bridge procedures and checklists – a case study
The checklist opposite was collected during an accident investigation involving a small offshore supply ship. It is representative of checklists used for navigation on ships by many companies. As such, it serves as an appropriate case for review and analysis.
The ‘Bridge Checklist’ shown here was a sub-document related to two procedures in the vessel’s safety management system: ‘Procedure for the start-up of bridge prior to departure’ and ‘Procedure for readying the bridge prior to arrival/port’. Both procedures were situated in the vessel safety management system section 7, ‘Shipboard Operation’, subsection ‘Arrival, departure and mooring procedures’, and referred to this checklist for arrival and departure from port.
Ideally, the checklist is to be used as an aide-memoire. However,
in this case it appears that the entire description of starting up and readying the bridge has been transferred from the procedure to the checklist. Thus the checklist has been extended from an aide- memoire to a work description.
The checklist consists of eight categories. Not all checks are phrased in the same manner. While some checks specify actions (eg ‘port notified’, ‘PAX boarding completed’, ‘AIS updated’) others merely identify equipment (eg ‘GPS’, ‘Log’, ‘NAVTEX’ and ‘Fire alarm and control panel’). There are only two options for completing the checklist – a tick or N/A (not applicable). If a task is not applicable, why should the action appear on the checklist in the first place? Furthermore, there is no room for recording negatively or commenting against an item in case of malfunction or underperformance. The purpose of completing the checks is also unclear. For instance, does the tick confirm that the instrumentation is functional, or is it merely to ensure
that it is turned on? And what if the equipment is functional but not up to the required standards of safe operation (for example, the gyro compass exhibiting high error or a radar with questionable performance)? Is the checklist intended to ensure that the tasks have been completed or is it merely for the purpose of record keeping?
Notice also the difference in the nature of tasks included in the checklist. At one extreme, the checklist is intended to ensure that even minor details such as window wipers are included. At the other, the checklist includes a broad-brush statement to ensure ‘risk assessment carried out’. Once a detailed procedure has been designed for a routine operation, what is the purpose of incorporating risk assessment? At the bottom is a section to ensure that a responsible person has completed and signed the checklist. What is the purpose of including this section? More specifically, how does this improve the safety of operations?
The Report • March 2018 • Issue 83 | 49
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