Exploratory Survey of Human Factors on Offshore Patrol Vessels

Abstract

Spending up to six months or more aboard a ship, occasionally subject to harsh weather, the life of a seafarer is heavily dependent on the design of the ship. A good ship design, thus, has to take account of socio-technical requirements to fulfil the fundamental needs of safety, efficiency, and usability of the entire ship and its systems by keeping Human Factors (HF) in mind. This paper presents findings of an exploratory survey conducted on two Offshore Patrol Vessels (OPVs) with an aim to identifying the application of HF within the current designs. The study was conducted using quantitative and qualitative approaches such as questionnaires, observations, and discussions with the OPV crews. Results of this study were helpful to recognise the areas where design improvements are necessary in HF perspective including inadequate comfort in ship accommodation, low level of privacy and facilities for both individual and social relaxation, noise disturbance, ergonomics issues, layout limitations, and limited spaces for crews. As a result, different levels of compliance in various HF dimensions were also recognized, and out of them habitability and maintainability were the major concerns. Finally, significant improvements that are necessary for the upcoming naval designs in terms of physical, psychosocial and organisational aspects on-board ships were identified.