Analysis of the organizational factors in maritime accidents

In this study, it is aimed to examine the organizational dimension of communication instead of human-induced errors, which are frequently focused on the examination of communication problems leading to maritime accidents. In order to distinguish organizational effects from human-induced factors, the Human Factor Analysis and Classification (HFACS) System is adapted to the maritime communication concept and the HFACS-MarComm (Marine Communication) structure is created. For this purpose, maritime accident investigation reports categorized as "very serious" and "serious" are examined, and communication problems that affect the accidents directly and indirectly are classified in HFACS-MarComm layers. Attention was paid that the analysed accident reports recorded communication problems in terms of human and organizational factors. The accidents whose reports are examined are serious and very serious collision/contact type accidents that took place after 2002 when the implementation of the International Safety Management System became mandatory. Within the scope of the specified criteria, 58 accident reports determined by detailed scans made in the IMO GISIS database. Analysing these reports, 155 factors related to communication problems are detected. As a result, within the scope of the HFACS-MarComm structure created, the organizational effects sub-layers are firstly analysed with accident and ship demographic characteristics, and then their relationships with each other and with other titles of the HFACS-MarComm structure by means of IBM SPSS Statistics v.25 program. In the light of the findings obtained as a result of the analysis, Ship Personnel Communication Competence Tracking System was proposed.