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The remote control ship is considered to be the most likely implementation of maritime autonomous surface ships (MASS) in the near-term future. With collaborative control from onboard controllers and operators ashore, ships may operate in three navigation control modes (NCMs), manual, autonomous, and remote control, based on different levels of control authority. The scientific selection of the appropriate NCM for MASS under multiple driving modes is crucial for ensuring ship navigation safety and holds significant importance for operators and regulatory authorities overseeing maritime traffic within specific areas. To aid in selecting the proper NCM, this study introduces a risk-based comparison method for determining optimal control modes in specific scenarios. Firstly, safety control paths and processes for MASS under different NCMs are constructed and analyzed using system-theoretic process analysis (STPA). By analyzing unsafe system control actions, key Risk Influencing Factors (RIFs) and their interrelationships are identified. Secondly, a Hidden Markov Model (HMM) process risk assessment model is developed to infer risk performance (hidden state) through measuring RIF states. Cloud modeling with expert judgments is utilized to parameterize the HMM while addressing inherent uncertainty. Lastly, the applicability of the proposed framework was verified through simulation case studies. Typical navigation scenarios of conventional ships in coastal waters were chosen, and real-time data collected by relevant sensors during navigation were used as simulation inputs. Results suggest that in the same scenario, process risks differ among the analyzed NCMs. Traffic complexity, traffic density, and current become the primary factors influencing navigation risks, and it is necessary to select the appropriate NCM based on their real-time changes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Unsafe acts of ship officers have been a direct cause of many maritime accidents. In the maritime industry, much effort has been made to prevent unsafe acts and to improve safe behaviours of ship officers. The positive effect of organizational safety climate on human behaviour has been well documented in the literature. Within this context, this paper aims to pioneer the development of the measurement constructs of safety climate in shipping operations and analyze its impact on safety consciousness and behaviour of ship officers. Using primary data collected from 284 deck officers and captains, an exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis and a structural equation model are used to reveal the relationship among the constructs of safety climate, safety consciousness and safety behaviour. The research results show that (1) safety climate generates a direct positive effect on safety consciousness and behaviour; (2) safety consciousness has a positive effect on safety behaviour; and (3) safety consciousness acts as a mediator between safety climate and safety behaviour. Its managerial implications and practical contributions lie in the provision of useful insights on how ship managers can effectively gain the improved safety behaviours of ship officers by appropriate introduction of safety climate and consciousness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The safety psychology of marine pilots affects their operational pilotage behaviour. This paper aims to analyze how social cognition (i.e. attitude and perception) and personality traits (i.e. risk tolerance) of marine pilots affect their safety behaviour through Structural Equation Modeling (SEM). Primary sample data is obtained by a survey from the pilots of the Shanghai port, with total of 306 collected results. The results indicate the safety behaviour of marine pilots concerning that 1) the hazardous attitude has a significant positive effect; 2) risk tolerance has an indirect influence; and 3) risk perception has both direct and indirect impacts. Based on this finding, the managerial implications for pilotage safety include that 1) the reduction of the level of hazardous attitude of marine pilots can improve the safety behaviour of marine pilots, 2) the level of risk perception can increase through psychological training and safety education, which is beneficial to comprise the possible effect of increased ability by pilot skill training on risk tolerance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]