An efficient bridge organization will include procedures that 1.

Eliminate the risk that an error on the part of one person may result in a disastrous situation; 2. Emphasise the necessity to maintain a good visual lookout and to carry out collision avoidance routines; 3. Encourage the use of all means of establishing the ship's position so that in the case of one method becoming unreliable others are immediately available; 4. Make use of passage planning and navigational systems which allow continuous monitoring and detection of deviation from track when in coastal waters; 5. Ensure that all instrument errors are known and correctly applied; 6. Accept a pilot as a valuable addition to a bridge team.

These procedures can only be achieved by each member of the bridge team appreciating that he has a vital part to play in the safe navigation of the ship. Each member will also realize that safety depends upon all personnel playing their part to the utmost of their ability. Junior team members and watchstanders must never hesitate to question a decision if they consider that such decision is not in the best interests of the ship. Careful briefing and explanation of the responsibilities required of each member will help to accomplish this.

Each team member must appreciate that the safety of the ship should never depend upon the decision of one person only. All decisions and orders must be carefully checked and their execution monitored.

Masters, skippers and watchkeepers should therefore adhere to the IMO Guidelines taking the following measures to ensure that they appreciate and reduce the risks to which they are exposed:
Investigations that human navigation error contributes to 80% of navigational a) ensure thatshow all the vessel's (iii) cross-checking of individual human accidents and that in many cases essential information that could have is planned in adequate detail with decisions so that errors can be prevented the accident was available to but not used by those responsible for contingency plans where appropriate. detected and corrected early as the navigation of the vessels as concerned.

Why plan in advance????

b) ensure that there is because a systematic bridge Most happen of simple (iv) accidents information available from plots of other organization mistakes in use of provides navigational equipment traffic isthat used carefully for: to ensure
and interpretation of the available against over-confidence, bearing in mind (i) comprehensive briefing of all information, rather than because any that other vessels may alter of course concerned with the navigation deficiency in basic navigational skills orof and/or speed the vessel; ability to use equipment. c) ensure that optimum and systematic use (ii) close continuous monitoring is made of and all appropriate information the vessel's position as thatof becomes available to the ensuring navigational staff; far as possible that different

possible;

20.0%

80.0%

methods determining position d) ensuring that of the intentions of the a pilot are are used to check against error fully understood and acceptable to the in any navigational one system. vessel's staff

2. RESPONSIBILITY FOR VOYAGE PLANNING

In most deep-sea vessels the master delegates the initial responsibility for preparing the plan for a voyage to the officer responsible for navigational equipment and publications (hereafter referred to as the navigating officer.) On smaller vessels, including fishing vessels, the master or skipper may have the responsibility of the navigating officer for voyage planning purposes. Prior to departure the navigating officer will prepare the detailed voyage plan from berth to berth in accordance with the Guidelines and to the master's requirements.

If the port of destination is not known or is subsequently altered, the navigating officer must extend or amend the original plan as appropriate.