FINLANDS SJÖFART J SUOMEN MERENKULKU 51
unions, regulatory issues, and training and reskilling.
The survey revealed significant concerns about the
safety of autonomous or remotely-controlled ships, such as
pump and pipe failures leading to unpredictable and
complex chains of failures. Respondents warned of:
• problems in conducting routine and corrective maintenance
• equipment and system failures
• redundancy and reliability of shipboard equipment
• software bugs
• IT and communication problems
• sensor failures as a result of heat and vibration
• piracy and cyber attacks
• cargo security
• unpredictable sea conditions
• on-the-spot decision-making in dynamic environments
• the relationship between autonomous ships and conventional
vessels during the transition period
However, the survey also showed that very few maritime
professionals are completely opposed to automation at
sea. A substantial proportion consider that new technolo-gies
could improve safety and working conditions by
reducing workloads, easing administrative burdens,
improving predictive and preventive maintenance, and
providing improved standards of information to officers.
There was significant support for a more ‘hybrid’
approach to operations – in which ‘smart’ systems work in
a supporting capacity alongside trained seafarers who
remain in control.
There was also strong support for improved training to
ensure that seafarers are able to take full advantage of the
benefits that new technology could bring, and to ensure
the safe operation of onboard electronic and IT systems.
Respondents expressed mixed views over the develop-ment
of shore-based fleet operations centres. There were
many calls for the International Maritime Organisation to
urgently develop training and operating standards for
personnel working in such facilities.
Many of the survey participants also called for the
shipping industry to pay appropriate attention to the
experiences of other industries – such as aviation – which
have already embraced high levels of automation and IT.
Much greater focus should be placed on the way in
which seafarers will be expected to interact with new
technology, the report adds, warning that accidents linked
to Electronic Chart Display & Information Systems
(ECDIS) demonstrate the dangers presented by inadequate
training and poor ergonomics.
The report says seafarers should be given a proper say
in the introduction of new technologies – at shipboard,
company and regulatory levels. There should be a strong
commitment to finding ways to use new technologies to
improve the working lives of seafarers by eliminating
dirty, dangerous or tedious tasks, and by ending excessive
hours and fatigue – as well as enabling earlier retirement
for those who want it. Retraining and upskilling pro-grammes
should be introduced for those who face redun-dancy
as a result of technological change, it adds.
Work should also be carried out to examine ways in
which new technology can be used to enhance maritime
skills and to create new roles in operational oversight and
control, analysis, and research and development.
‘People are – and will continue to be – critical to the
safe and efficient operation of the shipping industry,’ the
report concludes. ‘Maritime skills and experience should
remain an essential component of the way in which
shipping works, regardless of the scale of technological
change.’ •
Credit: Nautilus International A