Splash247: Recurring onboard shortcuts can lead to major incidents

Published by Splash247

Recurring deviations from routine onboard operations, which become the norm rather than single-point failures, are a major risk factor across shipping fleets, according to Israeli tech firm ShipIn Systems.

The company describes the process as “operational drift” — small lapses that repeat often enough to become normal behaviour.

“Major incidents don’t usually begin with major failures. They are often preceded by small deviations that repeat, accumulate and eventually define how a vessel operates in practice,” said Osher Perry, ShipIn’s chief executive.

The company says this is often missed ashore because managers may see the existence of procedures, audits and reports as proof that standards are being followed. In practice, ShipIn argues, those controls are usually periodic and compliance-led, which means they can miss how work is being done day to day.

“On paper, operations may look compliant,” Perry said. “In practice, there is always variation, mainly between crew, shifts, work patterns and different operating pressures. Without continuous visibility, that variation is very easy to miss.”

ShipIn says the clearest signs of drift appear in routine activity: watchkeeping, deck operations, engine-room practices, PPE use, supervision levels and responses to early technical signals. These are not necessarily high-risk moments in themselves, but the company says standards can slip gradually during apparently normal work or under operational pressure.

The firm says the danger is that by the time something goes wrong, the underlying causes have already been present for weeks or months. In its view, the risk had been in place long before the incident became apparent.

It also says risk is rarely spread evenly across a fleet. A small number of vessels, ShipIn argues, often account for a disproportionate share of recurring issues, which makes it important for operators to identify where intervention is most needed.

According to the company, once recurring patterns are flagged and discussed with crews, measurable improvement can often follow within one to three months. The goal is not more paperwork, it says, but better visibility into what is happening onboard in real time.

“The next step in safety is not simply adding more procedures,” Perry said. “It is understanding how work is done at sea, where standards are starting to drift, and where support is needed before risk becomes normalised.”