News & Views - The TMI-BITS DLC Newsletter

May 2005 Issue 02/2005

Student Survey

We will be sending all our semester B and C students a questionnaire in which various questions relating to our course and to their shipboard duties and capabilities achieved are included. The answers received will help us understand our student’s working environment better and contribute to any changes that we may make towards improving our course even more.

As the survey questions relate to the learning as well as watchkeeping capabilities, this applies to students who have completed at least semester A and would be in a position to give informed opinions.

All eligible students, whether on leave or on board, are requested to complete the questionnaire and return it to us in good time. Of course, we expect your honest and unbiased answers that reflect what you truly feel.

The results of the survey shall be of interest both to the industry as well the Institute and shall be published in due course after full analysis.

Growing Number of Marine Accidents prompts Administration for preventive action

A white paper prepared by Director General of Shipping (DGS) on marine casualties is pinning its hopes on setting up a casualty investigation body.

The white paper is based on the need to analyse such accidents in depth in order to find the root cause of and to take corrective measures so that similar accidents can be averted and loss of life or injury is avoided.

In our distance learning programme, we have been advocating the importance of safe procedures and safety management on board from the first module that a student studies. In the analysis of casualties, the P & I clubs have repeatedly stressed the role of human being in these casualties. Human error comes in various forms and sizes and the only way to avoid it is to be proactive.

Most investigations stop at finding a scapegoat and punishing him/her but a little probing in the background reveals that the root cause is entirely different. In our day-to-day operations, we should ensure that this process is adopted.

ISM code has these aspects as its principle. A number of shipping companies have adopted the no blame culture and they advocate getting to the root even if it points the finger to company procedures or management.

Another important way of reducing the damage caused by human errors is to record ‘near misses’. Careful analysis of these reports have reduced accidents considerably.

Investigation as contemplated by the administrations is a step in the right direction but whether to be a subject of such investigation is in our hands. Remember! Safety is a culture and it cannot be brought about with the fear of fines or suspension of certificates!

Leadership

Talking about meaningful investigation, the Maritime and coastguard agency in the UK had commissioned an investigation on a similar subject. A study by the consultants, among other aspects, has shown that with respect to Competence Management, there is more emphasis on technical skills in training and in promotion criteria through the ranks to Master, rather than on leadership abilities. Training quality is generally regarded to be low, suffering in particular from cost reduction drives which put pressure on training providers to reduce the scope and length of training courses.

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Core Safety Leadership Qualities

The study identified from the process of literature review, interviews and group discussions, the following 10 qualities for effective safety leadership:

• Instill respect and command authority
• Lead the team by example
• Draw on knowledge and experience
• Remain calm in a crisis
• Practice “tough empathy”
• Be sensitive to different cultures
• Recognise the crew’s limitations
• Motivate and create a sense of community
• Place the safety of passengers and crew above everything
• Communicate and listen clearly

All of you are training to be leaders, let us hope you keep this in mind.

The above study is available on the MCA web site under the title “Driving Safety Culture - Identification of Leadership Qualities for Effective Safety Management”

Students’ Page:

Practice in solving numerical problems
During de-briefing, a number of passing out students inform us that they would have liked more Navigation and Stability numerical problems for practice. However, on further inquiry it is found that they had not solved all the problems given EVEN in the workbooks!

Students are reminded that the Navigation (Sem A and B) and Stability Workbooks are significant resources of numerical problems and it is in their interest to solve these for practice. Solved examples in both these workbooks help in understanding how to solve them as well as serve as a useful guide in the correct procedures to follow.

Although students are not required to submit these workbooks for evaluation, it is expected that they first solve these and then move on to problems from other standard textbooks for their practice.

Nautical Institute Books
Students are no doubt aware that watchkeeping in port and at sea constitutes a major portion of the duties of a deck officer. In order to increase the awareness and knowledge of the duties and responsibilities while keeping watch, students are issued three Nautical Institute books on watchkeeping at the beginning of the course, namely – Bridge Watchkeeping, Bridge Team Management, and Watchkeeping Safety and Cargo Management in Port.

Students are issued a planner for all three books to guide them through the chapters which need to be read for each month of Semesters A, B & C. Yet, we find that very few students are studying these books and answering the tasks in their Journals.

Bridge Watchkeeping is written with the aim of improving and updating the navigation and watchkeeping skills of the deck officer and conveys the attributes and practical guidance required for an officer on bridge watch.

Bridge Team Management explains how to prepare for safe well planned navigation process in such a way that the ship is always conducted under positive control, supported by the pilot when one is on board.

Watchkeeping Safety and Cargo Management in Port is written to assist the junior watchkeeping officer to identify his duties in port and to understand their significance and enhance the standards of cargo watchkeeping.

All three books are practical guides, with the best advice available from experts in the field and are designed for self study. The text is concise, informative and accompanied by checklists and handy practical references.

Students need to read these books to enhance their watchkeeping skills.

New Navigation Equipment
With the changes in SOLAS Ch. V our students shall be using new navigational aids. These may not have been included in their study material to the extent possible. It is therefore necessary to study the operation of these aids, their advantages and disadvantages before using and relying on them.

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Our Progress

The student strength of the Institute as on 30 Apr 05 was as follows :

953 students have been awarded Diploma in Nautical Sciences as on 30 Apr '05. We shall be celebrating our 1000^th diploma in the next few months, most likely before the next news letter is published!

The following cadets have passed the Diploma in Nautical Sciences (Phase 1 of BS Programme) since we published our last Newsletter, obtaining grades as stated:

11 cadets have obtained more than 75% marks (Excellent Grade), 66 obtained more than 60% (Good Grade) and 8 passed with 50% or more marks (Fair Grade).

Well Done!

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