Safety may be sacrificed in the growing drive to develop autonomous ships unless more attention is paid to the human element, Nautilus has warned at a maritime risks conference in London.
Speaking at the IHS Markit Maritime & Trade Risk Forum, Nautilus' general secretary Mark Dickinson said he was concerned about the way in which seafarers have been excluded from the debate over smart shipping. ‘It seems that much is being driven by equipment manufacturers and potential service suppliers — with the result that the agenda has concentrated on systems rather than their social and human impact.’
Improving Safety and Quality of Work
Mr Dickinson said the industry should be looking at ways to use technology to improve working lives rather than simply seeing it as a way to cut crewing levels or reduce costs. Properly managed, he argued, the transition to smart shipping could be used to improve safety by automating many dirty or dangerous shipboard jobs and to raise the quality of work onboard by removing a lot of paperwork and administration.
New Skill Sets
But, he warned, the industry and regulators need to take a proactive and considered approach to the safety implications of increased automation, and to learn lessons from aviation. Attention also needs to be paid to the way in which operational and management responsibilities are being taken away from ships to shore-based centres that can "micro-manage" all aspects of vessel operations, he added.
The need for maritime expertise and seamanship skills will continue despite the advances in shipping technology, Mr Dickinson told the conference. ‘Rather than using automation to de-skill seafarers or reduce employment, we should harness technology for a new generation of maritime professionals with new skill sets and new aptitudes,’ he concluded.
