The hidden dangers in assuming all operators are the same

Over the years, I’ve spoken with mariners, maritime agencies, and management positions from the boiler room to the boardroom, and one interesting observation is tied to workforce expectations and assumptions.

Two areas have stood out: (1) management’s expectations of crew knowledge across different sectors of the industry, and (2) operators’ expectations on crew knowledge in shared waterways. Both assumptions can be dangerous when not fully understood. Through years of investigations, interviews, audits, and root-cause analyses, it is not uncommon to hear an honest “I didn’t know” from an operator or manager, which may be truthful, but not knowing the differences in operations can still lead to hidden dangers and catastrophic accidents.

Numerous operations, tonnage, equipment, and services make up the maritime industry. Deep-draft containerships, tankers, tugboats, towing vessels, barges, water-taxis, small passenger vessels, fishing boats, sailboats, and others share the same navigable waterways. Each brings its own specific requirements and expertise needed to operate safely. Those differences make the maritime industry more complex than other modes of transportation and the workforce serving them.

For example, the position of captain, or master, is revered across all sectors of the industry, built around authority, knowledge, and competence. I’ve found there’s sometimes a disconnect among both management and operators as to significant differences in training, certification, sea-time, and salary-scale across the position. A captain in one area of the industry can be fully capable of working on Vessel “A” that operates in the local bay or harbor, and at the same time unauthorized to work on Vessel “B” that may be only 250' away in that same body of water. Job requirements necessary to operate equipment vary drastically too. A captain may be navigating the vessel by hand or may be giving helm commands or monitoring a pilot or autopilot, just as one example.

As common as job titles may be across the industry, vessel types, operations, and safety parameters vary considerably. Hopefully, this background can serve as a friendly public service announcement, so that next time you won’t have to say, “I didn’t know.”