Icebreakers are special-purpose ships designed to operate in different ice-covered waters, either independently or during assistance of weaker ships. In the Baltic Sea, as well as elsewhere, they are essential for maintaining continuous sea transport services during wintertime. Icebreaker operations are complex, and every situation in which a vessel requires assistance is unique, due to, e.g. changing ice and weather conditions, geographical location or language proficiency of the crew on board the icebreaker or assisted vessel. The icebreaker crew has considerable freedom to adapt to each situation, yet, for safe operations, there are constraints to which the crew has to conform. The study presented in this paper aims at identifying the constraints on nautical officers on board icebreakers during operations, as well as special situations that increase cognitive load. A work domain analysis based on a group interview with nautical icebreaker officers shows the multitude of tasks performed on board icebreakers. Furthermore, it identifies constraints specific to icebreaker operations such as ice assessment and direct icebreaking, but also generic constraints such as language and communication skills. At times, safety and efficiency come into conflict, resulting in a trade-off between the two. When that happens, safety gets priority, and the operation stops until the situation has been evaluated. In addition, several situations that increase cognitive load are identified, with the common denominator that they add elements of uncertainty, e.g. severe weather and technical malfunctions. Finally, further research within the area of icebreaker operations is recommended, with a continued focus on the system constraints, and their potential for system improvement.
Seafaring shares many characteristics with contemporary working life ashore. However, a major difference is that seafarers can spend up to 12 months aboard a ship that constitutes a work, living and recreational environment. Onboard work includes many stressors that can potentially contribute to workplace bullying and harassment, which in turn can affect safety critical operations. The aim of this study was to identify underlying causes in the organizational and social work environment that can cause workplace bullying and harassment at sea, and to suggest appropriate preventive and promotive strategies and measures. Data were collected mainly through World Café workshops with 56 participants from the Swedish maritime industry. Seafarer occupational health, safety, and wellbeing is largely determined by interdependent factors at micro, meso, and macro levels, where different stakeholders play various roles. Strategies and measures starting at the individual seafarer, and gradually expanding outwards toward the maritime industry are suggested. It is important that a victim of bullying or harassment receives adequate support. Creating crew courage enables employees to both recognize troubling situations and know how to act and respond to a situation. To bridge the gap between policy and practice, the legislative framework needs translating into practical procedures to make sense to the middle manager at the sharp end, with limited knowledge, time, resources, and decision latitude. Future research should evaluate the effectiveness of work environment interventions – what works, for whom, and under which circumstances.
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