W
Volume 4, Issue 34, July 2009
avelength The CENTROFIN Newsletter
Building “Error Tolerance” Into Maritime Industry By Captain Timothy Crowch (Reproduced with Author's kind permission) www.assm.biz
1. Introduction Increasingly over recent years, a growing number of organisations, particularly those operating within complex industries, have been turning toward civil aviation for assistance in establishing modern, effective safety strategies. The reason for this is well known, namely, that since the early 1960s, the world of commercial aviation has invested heavily in safety management and associated training programmes and is proud to admit that the results are now testimony to the return on that investment. However, it was not always this way and we have had our share of "wrong turnings" and failures along the way. The main benefit, though, from these negative experiences is that we have learned from our past mistakes and turned them into positive success stories. In our world, the 1960s witnessed the introduction of the jet age, which brought new technologies and demanded new flying skills from our aircrews. It also brought the beginning of the recording devices that have now become
In this issue synonymous with flight safety. With the invention of the first Flight Data Recorder (FDR) in 1957 by the Australian, Dr. David Warren, followed a few years later by the Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR), we now had the means of recording, at least then in a rudimentary fashion, some of the aircraft's behaviour and a little of that of the crew. Ten years later, two airlines started to analyse sporadically some of this data to ascertain how their aircraft were indeed being operated away from base. With time and with the advent of the digital age, these devices became much more sophisticated and progressed from measuring tens of parameters per minute to over 1500 per second. The analysis of the acquired data also matched the sophistication but we were, on the whole, only measuring technical performance and the crews' technical skills. Then on a Sunday afternoon in March 1977, in Tenerife, our worst nightmare became reality when two Boeing 747s collided on ground in poor visibility caused by cloud rolling in off the Atlantic and shrouding this high altitude airfield. That afternoon, our industry killed 583 people to this day the industry's worst disaster. There were a number of contributory causes to this accident but what broke through the final defence barriers was a misunderstanding in communication (between the air traffic controller and the crew as well as within the crew) exacerbated by a very steep authority gradient on the flight deck of the departing aircraft.
pg 1-2
<Error Tolerance> pg 4
The Most Famous Ships That Never Were pg 6
Thirty-Six Stratagems pg 8-9
Safety First !! pg 10
Early World History pg 14
UTOPIA
cont'd on pg 2
A Common Maritime Language - Cross cultural issues “Why do competent seafarers have accidents?” This editor could not hide his joy while perusing through the above 'wise' and realistic feature article. It comes from an aviation expert of 35 years, who additionally is having a 'Risk and Safety Management' 'obsession' under his concern. Fully subscribing to the articles' contents, I got an even larger pleasure when I received the author's permission to have reproduced it, unaltered. For the last two years, as an independent freelancer I have focused my premium time to investigating, researching and exploring the question that seems to be in every person's mind, of our shipping industry:
So far the findings are guiding to the direction of lack of communication influenced by the impact of language and culture differences, among the large seafarers' family whose English is not their mother language, and of course, not only. I have had an extensive exposure living, working and sailing - with a vast assemble of seafarers from this earth's four cardinals, as well, as extensive discussions with academics, scholars, maritime English teachers and shipping managers. I have come to realise how important is the existence of a common working language for communication at sea, coupled though with a 'uniform maritime attitude and mentality'. Is this feasible? The following text is an attempt and a small contribution. The case for a common maritime language (English); the need for effective communication (onboard communication and this of watchkeepers); the evidence of communication problems at sea and ports; and the examples on non-communication at sea has been in the 'gutters' for many years.
cont'd on pg 12
TO THE MASTER: Please circulate copies of this Bulletin to the CREW.
To reach our Seafarers
Building “Error Tolerance� Into Maritime Industry
from pg 1
The Captain believed that he had received his take-off clearance; the First Officer was of another opinion and attempted to intervene. The Captain, rather than clarify the situation, overruled him, applied take-off thrust and seconds later collided with another 747 that was still taxiing along the runway as part of the taxiway had been closed for repair. The realisation hit the industry that we were doing something very wrong and we had no alternative but to change we had to change the way we were operating aircraft in the then modern environment; we could not tolerate creating such gruesome spectacles for the travelling public. The industry would not survive. We had been warned of such a possibility some years before but we chose to ignore those warnings to our cost. One immediate consequence was that one of the airlines involved, KLM, launched their "KHUFAC"(KLM Human Factors Awareness Course) programme created and led by Dr. Frank Hawkins, then a Human Factors consultant and pilot with the airline. Its emphasis was to be solely on the area of human factors or, otherwise referred to as, "non-technical skills" training.
2. Pro-Active vs. Re-Active Safety Strategies This was, in essence, the birth of aviation's cockpit resource management (CRM) later to be renamed "Crew Resource Management" as it started to encompass crews and teams outside the cockpit. This philosophy has grown to the point that we are now teaching a "6th generation" format of the original but the initial pioneering work performed by Hawkins among others is as valuable to us today as it was revolutionary then. The training targeted soft skills, interpersonal skills, which, in the average pilot, had not been honed to the levels of his technical skills. Here was the identified weakness in our operating system. In parallel with this new Human Factors approach to training, data analysis was used to support this, reporting systems were created and introduced; initially these were anonymous only later to evolve into confidential and even, in some companies, open systems. The emphasis was finally shifting from "reactive" safety management to a more "pro-active" approach. Modern safety management has, at its heart, the anticipation of danger, the awareness of hazards and their identification. By raising the
levels of awareness of all members of an organisation's staff to potential danger, we establish another line of defence in our system. Our culture begins to change to one that protects an organisation from possible events that have not yet happened.
Reactive safety management conversely is the most ineffective and expensive form of safety. With this approach we will never prevent the first accident, at best only the second. This philosophy presupposes that we are prepared to accept the first accident in every category. A number of shipping companies are integrating human factors training into their crew training curricula but unfortunately too few. P & I Clubs and Classification Societies are together collecting data that indicate that 8090% of shipping incidents and accidents can be traced to human error or inadequate team performance. Despite these figures, crew training is still heavily weighted towards training and retraining of technical and ship handling skills. The human weaknesses are almost being disregarded, with the result that there are often too few "error tolerant" procedures in place on complex vessels. As with aviation in the 1970s, many of the technical weaknesses in our system were improved with improved technology but it was only when we radically shifted our focus to the non-technical factors and fully integrated these into our training that we finally laid the foundations for the safety record, which other industries wish to emulate today. The central point of the "pro-active" safety approach is the installation and effective management of a safety reporting system. Without such a well-functioning system, management is blind as to what is actually happening within its fleet. The crews, those in the front line, are the eyes and ears of the company and it is essential that they are motivated to report all perceived hazards, errors and incidents to the safety officer. We must not omit to mention that these systems are also ideal channels for feeding positive suggestions and good ideas to the policy makers. In addition to reporting, training is also a major component in ensuring safer operations. For a pro-active system to work effectively, all ranks of a ship's crew ought to be availed of the same training, from the Master through all levels of the officer team. This is essential as the introduction of a reporting system and a safety programme (the first is only a component of the second)
necessitates the introduction of a totally new operating culture within the whole organisation. Fear and reluctance normally predominate at the introduction of such a programme. It can be wrongly interpreted as just another means by which management wishes to control or even spy on its employees. Quite the opposite is the case; a reporting system is finally a tool for the staff, a tool by which they can effectively improve their working environment. It focuses on the staff and the programme is driven by the staff. This message is seldom brought across to them strongly enough, however. Only when all are fully integrated into the programme will a "unitĂŠ de doctrine" stand any chance of being established and, only when that has successfully been achieved, will the system perform as the creators designed it to and the management expects. Safety management is another form of change management and we all know how we inherently tend to resist change. It is unfamiliar, we fear it, we are suspicious of it and it upsets our comfort zones. This is why it is imperative that safety awareness and non-technical skills training accompany the introduction of safety programmes. Such programmes demand a wholly new set of attitudes, behaviour patterns, methods and styles of communication. This was the experience of the aviation community and it was not easy. Those who needed the training most at the start were exactly those who resisted it the most, walking out of what were then voluntary training courses. However, the critical mass of the change drivers slowly started to prevail and the former detractors realised that, even without openly admitting it, they, too, might have something to benefit from the new culture that was being introduced. The result in the airline world was a flatter hierarchical structure, more open communication, enhanced team performance and a phenomenal degree of "error tolerance" in the entire system. People create safety, no person or system has an automatic right to it; it has to be earned every day.
3. The Way towards "Error Tolerant" Marine Operations Much has been written in more recent times on the Marine industry leaning from aviation. Many of the proponents of safer marine operations concede that the airline industry, though much younger, has overtaken marine. It is, nevertheless, most important that we take time to recognise the different characteristics of the two complex industries. There are fundamental differences and it is essential that we are aware of these. However, it serves us
error - pg 3 -
well to concentrate on the multitude of similarities that exist between the industries and the common denominator is the human element. We are able to offer considerable support in this area as the increasing complexity of the ship's bridge environment is driving it closer to the aircraft's flight deck and the challenges facing the crews produced by systems automation and integration. The same human weaknesses in the man-machine interface are manifesting themselves.
Aviation is most fortunate in that the vast majority of research carried out into human factors in aviation during the 1970s and 1980s was supported by State Government institutions or universities, which have had generous resources at their disposal. The knowledge gained, though, is not the exclusive property of the aviation world alone and may be shared and profited from by other complex, human controlled industries.
Whereas CRM or non-technical skills training is now mandatory in the airline business throughout most of the world, it is a long way from being so in the world of shipping. This is unfortunate because institutions, as mentioned above, are gathering enough data to prove that the percentage of their incidents resulting from deficiencies in non-technical skills (NTS) is similar to that traditionally in aviation, namely 70-80%.
If we take the view that non-technical skills comprise the glue that holds together the professionals' technical skills, then the standard of NTS takes on a new importance. By improving these skills, by raising them to the level of the technical skills, we are taking a quantum leap towards a pro-active safety management culture and building effective error tolerance into the marine system. Statistics point to the greatest causes of incidents and accidents being poor communication, loss of situational awareness, poor decision-making, lack of effective leadership, breakdown in team performance and non-adherence to procedures and checklists. Nothing here has anything to do with the individual's ship handling or technical skills training and yet the training programme emphasis remains on these technical skills instead of focusing on these self-evident weaknesses in the operating system.* * Reason 1997 A "Just Culture" is an atmosphere of trust in which people are encouraged, even rewarded, for providing essential safety-related information but in which they are also clear about where the line must be drawn between acceptable and unacceptable behaviour.
It refers to a way of safety thinking that promotes a questioning attitude, is resistant to complacency, is committed to excellence and fosters both personal accountability and corporate self-regulation in safety matters. A "Just" safety culture is both attitudinal as well as structural as some personal attitudes and corporate styles can enable or facilitate the unsafe acts and conditions that are the precursors to incidents and accidents.>
At some time we have all heard the phrase "fail safe". Simply defined it means that if a component somewhere fails, the system in question (usually a machine or the person operating it) will not come to grief. It is possible to build the same principle into complex environments that are people intensive. The starting point is to identify what is referred to in accident investigation as a "single point of failure". This implies in the complex environment that if the individual perpetrates an error, either of commission or omission, then the whole system becomes endangered and runs the severe risk of failing and tragically often does. The marine environment is littered with a multitude of these single points of failure and the industry is fully aware of this. The old culture of blame and punishment has failed to shore up the defences. Imagine the consequences if, every time a pilot made a mistake, the result was an accident. You do not have to look far for the answer just review our pitiful statistics of the 1950s and early 1960s and several recent fatal accidents in Asia.
The more complex the working environment becomes, the greater the demand for team performance. The complex world no longer tolerates "star performers" as they have no place. We have all, as fallible humans, become dependent upon one another. No-one can any longer function as an island, a law unto him/herself. This intensifies the demand for perfecting skills in communication, intervention, leadership, followership, judgement, decision-making, feedback and more. Only by consciously developing new processes and procedures can we effectively reverse the trends in incidents and accidents. Attitudes towards different communication styles, to monitoring the work of colleagues and to intervening in times of uncertainty must change. However, they can only change and bear fruit in a new, open culture where all involved are genuinely encouraged to anticipate an event and not await its arrival. This is known as a "Just Culture" and is a subject for another time. It is essential to investigate all incidents and casualties thoroughly. It is then critical, not only that the findings are published and circulated to all parties but also that any resulting recommendations are acted upon and all possible lessons learned. In the aviation world this is tragically the part of the safety process where our reputation stalls and risks coming unravelled. This is a harsh admission but true. Why? The industry is struggling to survive in its present form and much-needed resources are being diverted elsewhere.
4. Toward a Safer Future
The external market pressures are enormous with the competitive, environmental and, more recently, security demands being placed upon world shipping. However, it is worth considering the short- and long-term perspective. Are all economies and costcutting measures truly effective even if the costs of failure are deducted from another account? Has everyone given serious thought to the uninsured costs entailed in a marine casualty?
Safety management is a profit centre, not a cost position. It constitutes an investment in future earnings. No-one budgets for an accident, the costs of each tragedy are met out of net profit. Safety management is wealth protection. The cost of these accidents is increasing. The focus of the media is turning away from the traditionally sensational aviation accident (there are not enough of them) to another area that stirs public opinion sooner or later and carries with it equal quantities of emotion as does an air disaster the environment. Where the media leads, litigation is not far behind. Criminalising accidents is a subject all by itself but it is anathema to a healthy safety culture. However, ignoring NTS training may, one day, risk being classified as a breach of duty or even negligence. The world's legal systems were designed to deter wrongdoing not to deter human error and accidents. However, recent high profile cases *are proving to us all that the thirst for "justice" and blame is smudging these divisions to the detriment of safety in all complex industries. Pro-active thinking and the heightened need for "error tolerance" in every aspect of the mindset of the shipping industry are the keys to protecting its resources and its future image. The perception of the public is predominantly subjective and highly emotional, facts and statistics are seldom given the attention they deserve. Tenerife forced change upon aviation we had absolutely no alternative. Change is painful but essential the professional image of our two industries hangs upon it. We ignore it at our peril but let it not be forgotten, it is easier to change in our own time than to delay and have change imposed through legislation upon us. *<The Hebie Spirit in South Korea (2007), the GOL air accident in Brazil (2006), the Tuninter air accident in Italy (2005), the innumerable malpractice suits brought against Health Care professionals worldwide. >
Silk Worms: What the Astronauts Eat? (Compliments 'Scientific American', March 2009) Interplanetary travel probably means that astronauts will need to carry ecosystems along to supply food and oxygen. Past studies of potential space food have considered poultry, fish and even snails, newts and sea urchin larvae, but they all have downsides. Chickens, for instance, require a lot of food and space, and aquatic life is sensitive to water conditions that may be hard to maintain. Scientists at Beihang University in Beijing suggest recruiting silkworms, which are already eaten in parts of China. These insects breed quickly, require little space, food or water, and produce only limited amounts of excrement. which could serve as fertiliser for onboard plants. Silkworm pupae, which are mostly edible protein, contain twice as much as eggs and milk, (The silkworms tasted in an upmarket Dalian restaurant were tasty and crunchy.Ed). The scientists, whose conclusions were published on line December 24, 2008, by Advances in Space Research, also point out that chemical processes could even make the silk digestible.
Mountain Thin Air (Physiology) Climbers summitting Mount Everest have as little oxygen in their bloodstream as residents of coastal areas, who are in cardiac arrest -or who are even dead. Four physicians from University College London trekked up Everest and drew their own blood for analysis. They found that because of the altitude, they had about a quarter less of oxygen in their blood than is normal for people at sea level. The analysis also confirmed other effects of being at high altitudes, such as the increase in haemoglobin to ferry as much oxygen as possible. Besides helping climbers, the findings, in the January 8 New England Journal of Medicine, could lead to better treatment for oxygen-deprived heart and lung patients on the ground.
:) HUMOUR WORLD'S EASIEST QUIZ (Compliments Bow Wave) (Passing requires 4 correct answers) 1) How long did the Hundred Years' War last? 2) Which country makes Panama hats? 3) From which animal do we get cat gut? 4) In which month do Russians celebrate the October Revolution? 5) What is a camel's hair brush made of? 6) The Canary Islands are named after what animal? 7) What was King George VI's first name? 8) What color is a purple finch? 9) Where are Chinese gooseberries from? 10) What is the color of the black box in a commercial airplane? Remember, you need 4 correct answers to pass. Check your answers below. ANSWERS TO THE QUIZ 6) Dogs 7) Albert 8) Crimson 9) New Zealand 10)Orange
Recently I came across a list of some famous fictional ships. The list that follows considers only ships appearing in novels -- no ships appearing in ancient works, poetry, plays, or movies. This eliminates such worthy contenders as the Argo, Mary Gloster, or HMS Pinafore. Besides, how does one balance the merits of The Nancy Bell against the Pequod against the Pinafore? Real ships that were used in novels were not considered. HMS Centurion, USS Bon Homme Richard, and RMS Queen Mary appear in many outstanding novels, but they are not fictional ships.
116 years Ecuador Sheep and Horses November Squirrel fur
The Most Famous Ships That Never Were
7. USS Walrus: The US Navy submarine that nails "Bungo Pete," in Ned Beach's classic submarine novel Run Silent, Run Deep. Other submarine tales have been written before and since, but none as memorable. 8. We're Here: The Gloucester schooner in Captains Courageous which recovers Harvey Cheyne from the ocean, and upon which he achieves manhood. Another "children's" novel that can be enjoyed by everyone. Also made into countless movies. HMS Lydia: Horatio Hornblower's command in the first Hornblower novel that C.S. Forester wrote -The Happy Return (or Beat to Quarters). This was the frigate in which Hornblower beats the two-decker Natividad -- twice. 9. HMS Surprise: Jack Aubrey's favorite frigate, and star of several of Patrick O'Brian's Aubrey/Maturin series, both as a Royal Navy ship and a privateer. While there was a real HMS Surprise during the period, the real ship was a 36. Jack Aubrey's Surprise was a 28. What ships were culled from this list? Quite a few notable ships. Honorable Mentions: HMS Ulysses (HMS Ulysses), USS Reluctant (Mr. Roberts), HMS Hyperion and HMS Phalarope (Bolitho series), HMS Calypso (Ramage series), HMS Indomitable and Rights of Man (Billy Budd), Dawn Treader (Voyage of the Dawn Treader), Arabella (Captain Blood stories), Polar Star (Arkady Renko novel), USS San Pablo (The Sand Pebbles). Any contributions?
1) 2) 3) 4) 5)
Compliments:www CargoLaw.com
Here they are: 1. Pequod: Captain Ahab's whaler in the Herman Melville novel Moby- Dick. Is there a more famous nautical novel than Moby -Dick? Think of how many English students have suffered through it, and how many nautical enthusiasts have enjoyed it. 2. Nautilus: Not the REAL submarine -- Jules Verne's vessel from 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. A classic science-fiction tale that is also a sea story. 3. Hispaniola: The ship used to seek Captain Flint's treasure in Robert Louis Stevenson's novel Treasure Island. Set in the golden age of buccaneering, this novel is surprisingly young -- it was written in 1883. 4. Ghost: Wolf Larson's sealing schooner in Jack London's novel The Sea Wolf. Another classic tale of men against the sea, and perhaps London's finest nautical novel. 5. USS Caine: The four-piper destroyer converted to a minelayer in Herman Wouk's The Caine Mutiny. Wouk's classic tale of the importance of duty produced one of the most memorable ships in history, to say nothing of a great Bogart movie and other theatrical reinterpretations. 6. HMS Compass Rose: WWII "Flower"-class corvette in Nicholas Monsarrat's novel The Cruel Sea. Even people that have read the novel are surprised when you remind them that the Compass Rose disappeared in the middle of the novel. Do you remember the name of the second corvette?
- pg 5 PIRACY ATTACKS DOUBLE AS VIOLENCE AGAINST CREW INCREASES Piracy attacks around the world more than doubled and violence against crew members is on the increase, says the International Commercial Crime Services (ICC) International Maritime Bureau's Piracy Reporting Centre (IMB). The IMB reports the 240 piracy attacks around the world in the first six months of 2009 compares with 114 in the same period in 2008. "As in the last quarterly report, the rise in overall numbers is due almost entirely to increased Somali pirate activity off the Gulf of Aden and east coast of Somalia, with 86 and 44 incidents reported respectively," said the IMB. The year's second quarter saw 136 reports of piracy compared with 104 in the first three months of 2009, an increase of almost a third. A total of 78 vessels were boarded worldwide, 75 vessels fired upon and 31 vessels hijacked with some 561 crew taken hostage, 19 injured, seven kidnapped, six killed and eight missing. The attackers were heavily armed with guns and knives in the majority of incidents. Nevertheless, the presence of navies in the Gulf of Aden from
several countries have made it difficult for pirates to hijack vessels and has led them to seek new areas of operation such as the southern Red Sea and the east coast of Oman, where Somali pirates are believed to be responsible for a spate of recent attacks. The report said attacks off the eastern coast of Somalia had decreased in recent months after peaking in March and April, with no attacks reported in June. The Piracy Reporting Centre attributed the decline to heavy weather associated with the monsoons that are expected to continue into August. The centre said vigilance should nevertheless remain high during this period. Nigeria continues to be a high risk area, with 13 incidents reported in the second quarter to the IMB and at least 24 other attacks which have not been directly reported. "The majority of attacks are against vessels supporting the oil industry," said IMB director, Pottengal Mukundan. Attacks in Southeast Asia and the Far East increased 100%, from 10 in the first quarter to 21 in the second quarter, confirming a similar trend seen in 2008, with the difference being that the attacks in the first quarter were against vessels at anchor, while during the second quarter they were against vessels at sea. "This is a clear indication piracy and robbery in Southeast and East Asia has the potential to escalate and shipmasters should remain alert and be aware of the risks involved in the seaway and ports transited during the voyage," said Mukundan.
Poem by the wife of a WHALING Master "Then I'll haste to wed a sailor, and send him off to sea, For the life of independence, is the pleasant life for me, But every now and then, I shall seek to see his face, For it always seems to me to beam with manly grace, With his brow so nobly open, and his bright and kindly eyes, Oh my heart beats fondly towards him, whenever he is nigh, But when he says 'Good bye my love, I'm off across the sea, First I cry at his departure, then I laugh because I'm free.
Ship Handling in Head Seas A refresher note on basic 'wavelength' vs ship length. A ship among waves is repeatedly subjected to heaving, pitching and rolling. Hogging, sagging and twisting (torsional moment) can also be generated depending on the ship's relative position to the waves; i.e. whether the waves crest or trough (pronounced 'trof'), amidships, or the ship is among oblique waves. In hogging, the wave crest, at amidships, with a larger draft - the amidships force (buoyancy) is heading up versus the bow & stern forces (weight) which are heading down; these forces create a tension on the upper continuous hull and a compression on the lower (wet) continuous hull. In opposite, sagging position the wave trough is at amidships - the amidships force (weight) is heading down versus the bow and stern (buoyancy) forces which are heading up; these forces create a compression on the upper continuous hull and a tension on the lower (of small draught). > Compounding the above, together with the hull twisting, the ship speed is reduced due to added resistance from wind and waves. A ship's pitching response to any wave is determined by the wave's encounter length relative to the ship's length, as well as the period of encounter. > The ship's pitching motion is less significant when wavelength is shorter than ship length because the influencing wave is small. Pitching is restrained; the bottom of the bow does not emerge from the water, and the bow does not dip severly enough to take green water. > When wavelength is longer than the ship length, the ship pitches and heaves easily following the fore and aft wave profile. > When wavelength is equal to ship length pitching motion is at its most intense. Heaving of the ship on a crest and plunging of the bow into the next wave will accelerate. Fluctuations of water levels relative to waves at the bow and stern grow greater, leading to phenomena such as 'propeller racing', shipping water and slamming
Thirty-Six Stratagems Continued from previous issue W33. Chapter 2: Enemy Dealing Stratagems 7. Create something from nothing (traditional Chinese: 無中生有; simplified Chinese: 无中生有; pinyin: Wú zhōng shēng yǒu) A plain lie. Make somebody believe there was something when there is in fact nothing. Usage One method of using this strategy is to create an illusion of something's existence, while it does not exist. Another method is to create an illusion that something does not exist, while it does. o During the Battle of Fei River, Former Qin had an overwhelming manpower over Jin. But instead of backing down to defend, Jin attacked Former Qin forces early and formed wide formations, giving an illusion that Jin had the manpower to match Former Qin's forces. Fu Jiān began planning his moves in fear, and later on ordered his vast forces to back out from the river banks. The low morale Former Qin troops went into chaos, and Jin came out of the battle victorious. o During the Battles of Yongqiu and Suiyang, the Tang soldiers in Yongqiu were running out of arrows. Zhang Xun ordered about 1,000 scarecrows to be made. At night, soldiers put their own armor onto the scarecrows, and hung them down from the Castle walls. Yan forces saw this and shot many arrows at the scarecrows, since they thought they were Tang soldiers. By the time the Yan forces found out what happened, the Tang troops had already received about 200,000 arrows. When this happened again later, Yan soldiers did not shoot one single arrow at them. But these dark figures were real Tang soldiers, who quickly attacked the sleeping Yan ranks. The vast Yan forces were forced to retreat from their position. o In advance fee frauds, victims are lured by making them believe there was a large amount of money waiting for them ("Something") while there is in fact "Nothing".
Guanzhong through the small town of Chencang instead. When Xiang Yu received news of Liu Bang repairing the gallery roads, he dismissed the threat since he knew the repairs would take years to complete. This allowed Liu Bang to retake Guanzhong by surprise, and eventually led to his victory over Xiang Yu and the birth of the Han Dynasty. Usage This tactic is an extension of the "Make a sound in the east, then strike in the west" tactic. But instead of simply spreading misinformation to draw the enemy's attention, physical baits are used to increase the enemy's certainty on the misinformation. These baits must be easily seen by the enemy, to ensure that they draw the enemy's attention. At the same time, the baits must act as if what they meant to do what they were falsely doing, to avoid drawing the enemy's suspicion. o In 263 during the Three Kingdoms era, Deng Ai was facing off against Jiang Wei in one of the many battles between the two. Jiang Wei's goal was to take one of the Wei fortresses. Deng Ai engaged Jiang Wei's forces and was able to win a few early battles, and Jiang Wei retreated for a short distance before making camp. Deng Ai order his troops to set up defences along a river, since the nearby Jiang Wei forces would certainly return. After 3 days, Jiang Wei's forces did indeed return. But they simply camped and did not prepare to cross the river. Deng Ai sensed that Jiang Wei's main forces had gone around the river to take the fortress directly, so he ordered all forces to retreat back to the fortress to defend. Everything was just as Deng Ai had predicted, and due to his prior preparations, Jiang Wei's siege at the fortress ended in a failure. Jiang Wei had used the tactic wrongly, because his forces at the river did not draw enough enemy attention to cause them to stay at the river. o Prior to the Battle of Normandy, the Allies wanted to draw the Axis attention away from Normandy. An entirely fictitious First U.S. Army Group ("FUSAG"), was created for this purpose. Dummy tanks, trucks, planes and camps were made. They were placed in an area which led Nazi Germany to believe that the actual large scale invasion would take place in Pas de Calais. The air defence in this area was at a minimum, to allow Luftwaffe to photograph them easily. Allied naval bombardment was focused on Pas de Calais instead of Normandy. Dummy paratroopers were also used to create further uncertainty on the Nazi side regarding the actual location of the invasion. This led the Nazi defence forces into disorder, and allowed the Normandy operation to be carried out with "relative” ease.
36 8. Openly repair the gallery roads, but sneak through the passage of Chencang
(traditional Chinese: 暗渡陳倉; simplified Chinese: 暗渡陈仓; pinyin: Àn dù chén cāng) Deceive the enemy with an obvious approach that will take a very long time, while surprising him by taking a shortcut and sneak up to him. As the enemy concentrates on the decoy, he will miss you sneaking up to him. The phrase originated from the Chu-Han contention, where Liu Bang retreated to the lands of Sichuan to prepare for a confrontation with Xiang Yu. Once he was fully prepared, Liu Bang sent men to openly repair the gallery roads he had destroyed earlier, while secretly moving his troops towards
9. Watch the fires burning across the river (traditional Chinese: 隔岸觀火; simplified
Chinese: 隔岸观火; pinyin: Gé àn guān huǒ) Delay entering the field of battle until all the other players have become exhausted fighting amongst themselves. Then go in at full strength and pick up the pieces.
10. Hide a knife behind a smile
(traditional Chinese: 笑裏藏刀; simplified Chinese: 笑里藏刀; pinyin: Xiào lǐ cáng dāo) Charm and ingratiate yourself to your enemy. When you have gained his trust, move against him in secret.
11. Sacrifice the plum tree to preserve the peach tree (Chinese: 李代桃僵; pinyin: Lǐ dài táo jiāng) There are circumstances in which you must sacrifice short-term objectives in order to gain the long-term goal. This is the scapegoat strategy whereby someone else suffers the consequences so that the rest do not. Cao Cao of the Three Kingdoms Period demonstrated this strategy. During a siege, Cao's supplies ran low so he called in the supply captain and told him to dilute the rice with water to save grains. When the soldiers started to complain, Cao ordered for the captain to be killed. He would explain to his troops that the captain had been selling supplies to the enemy. This raised the army's morale and they were victorious in a few more days.
12. Take the opportunity to pilfer a goat (traditional Chinese: 順手牽羊; simplified
Chinese: 顺手牵羊; pinyin: Shùn shǒu qiān yáng) While carrying out your plans be flexible enough to take advantage of any opportunity that presents itself, however small, and avail yourself of any profit, however slight.
Chapter 3: Attacking Stratagems 13. Startle the snake by hitting the grass around it (traditional Chinese: 打草驚蛇; simplified Chinese: 打草惊蛇; pinyin: Dá cǎo jīng shé) Do something unaimed, but spectacular ("hitting the grass") to provoke a response of the enemy ("startle the snake"), thereby giving away his plans or position, or just taunt him. Do something unusual, strange, and unexpected as this will arouse the enemy's suspicion and disrupt his thinking. More widely used as "[Do not] startle the snake by hitting the grass". An imprudent act will give your position or intentions away to the enemy.
- pg 7 -
Create confusion and use this confusion to further your own goals.
21. Slough off the cicada's golden shell
17. Tossing out a brick to get a jade gem (traditional Chinese: 拋磚引玉; simplified
14. Borrow a corpse to resurrect the soul (traditional Chinese: 借屍還魂; simplified
Chinese: 借尸还魂; pinyin: Jiè shī huán hún) Take an institution, a technology, or a method that has been forgotten or discarded and appropriate it for your own purpose. Revive something from the past by giving it a new purpose or bring to life old ideas, customs, or traditions and reinterpret them to fit your purposes. At the end of the Medieval period when nationstates would field conscripted armies armed with firearms, personal body armour fell out of fashion for field infantry. The 1800s saw the early development of the ballistic vest but it did not become standard issue for modern armies until the 1990s.
15. Entice the tiger to leave its mountain lair (traditional Chinese: 調虎離山;
simplified Chinese: 调虎离山; pinyin: Diào hǔ lí shān) Never directly attack an opponent whose advantage is derived from its position. Instead lure him away from his position thus separating him from his source of strength. At the Battle of Hastings the Normans were initially unable to break the Saxon shield wall placed at the top of a hill, however by feigning retreat they were able to entice some of the Saxons to break ranks and opened a gap that allowed them to scatter the Saxon army.
16. In order to capture, one must let loose (traditional Chinese: 欲擒故縱; simplified
Chinese: 欲擒故纵; pinyin: Yù qín gū zòng) Cornered prey will often mount a final desperate attack. To prevent this you let the enemy believe he still has a chance for freedom. His will to fight is thus dampened by his desire to escape. When in the end the freedom is proven a falsehood the enemy's morale will be defeated and he will surrender without a fight.
Chinese: 抛砖引玉; pinyin: Pāo zhuān yǐn yù) Bait someone by making him believe he gains something or just make him react to it ("toss out a brick") and obtain something valuable from him in return ("get a jade gem"). This proverb is based on a story involving two famous poets of the Tang Dynasty. There was a great poet named Zhao Gu (趙嘏) and another lesser poet by the name of Chang Jian (常建). While Chang Jian was travelling in Suzhou, he heard news that Zhao Gu would be visiting a temple in the area. Chang Jian wished to learn from the master poet, so he devised a plan and went to the temple in advance, then wrote a poem on the temple walls with only two of the four lines completed, hoping Zhao Gu would see it and finish the poem. Zhao Gu acted as Chang Jian foresaw, and from this story came the proverb. o Advance fee fraud targets this belief in the victims: They are made believe they will make sizable gains ("get a jade gem"), but first must make down payments ("toss a brick"). As the initiators did "Create something from Nothing" (stratagem no. 7), the victims lose their payments.
18. Defeat the enemy by capturing their chief (traditional Chinese: 擒賊擒王;
simplified Chinese: 擒贼擒王; pinyin: Qín zéi qín wáng) If the enemy's army is strong but is allied to the commander only by money or threats, then take aim at the leader. If the commander falls the rest of the army will disperse or come over to your side. If, however, they are allied to the leader through loyalty then beware, the army can continue to fight on after his death out of vengeance.
Chapter 4: Chaos Stratagems 19. Remove the firewood under the cooking pot (Chinese: 釜底抽薪; pinyin: Fǔ dǐ
chōu xīn) Take out the leading argument or asset of someone; "steal someone's thunder".
20. Catch a fish while the water is disturbed (traditional Chinese: 混水摸魚;
simplified Chinese: 混水摸鱼; pinyin: Hún shuǐ mō yú)
(traditional Chinese: 金蟬脱殼; simplified Chinese: 金蝉脱壳; pinyin: Jīn chán tuō qiào) Mask yourself. Either leave flamboyant traits behind, thus going incognito; or just masquerade yourself and create an illusion to fit your goals and distract others. With the Battle of Gallipoli evacuation the British and Anzac forces were able to retreat without being routed by creating the illusion that their trenches remained occupied. In the Biblical story of the judge, Gideon in the Book of Judges, the smaller Israelite army, led by Gideon, was able to defeat the larger Midianite army by first carrying torches and trumpets, thus appearing as the torch bearers of a much larger force that had surrounded the Midianite encampment.
22. Shut the door to catch the thief
(traditional Chinese: 關門捉賊; simplified Chinese: 关门捉贼; pinyin: Guān mén zhōu zéi) If you have the chance to completely capture the enemy then you should do so thereby bringing the battle or war to a quick and lasting conclusion. To allow your enemy to escape plant the seeds for future conflict. But if they succeed in escaping, be wary of giving chase.
23. Befriend a distant state while attacking a neighbour (traditional Chinese:
遠交近攻; simplified Chinese: 远交近攻; pinyin: Yuǎn jiāo jìn gōng) It is known that nations that border each other become enemies while nations separated by distance and obstacles make better allies. When you are the strongest in one field, your greatest threat is from the second strongest in your field, not the strongest from another field. Otto von Bismarck made the League of the Three Emperors and treaties with the British Empire and Italy in order to isolate France, from which he feared an attack.
24. Obtain safe passage to conquer the State of Guo (Chinese: 假道伐虢; pinyin: Jiǎ dào fá Guó) Borrow the resources of an ally to attack a common enemy. Once the enemy is defeated, use those resources to turn on the ally that lent you them in the first place. The Peninsular War started when Napoleon attempted to conquer Spain by stealth, under the guise of friendship and forming an alliance against Britain and Portugal. ( To be continued on the next issue W35)
Safety First !! Message from the DPA: Dear seafarers, Over the past twenty years our industry has seen dramatic improvement in all safety related issues, however we have noted a slight reversal in this trend over the last 2-3 years. In this edition I wish to address the most important matter of personal safety. Some say our target of Zero accidents is unattainable due to the nature of our business, however we must continue striving towards this goal. The most disappointing aspect is when we do not learn from the mistakes of others (or even worse, our own) and we end up becoming unfortunate witnesses of too many accidents happening for the same or similar reasons. The company has an obligation to issue instructions and guidelines, to provide PPE, to train the seafarers to perform their tasks, to ensure proper supervision exists, and in general to provide a safe working environment. All these are tools and aids for you the seafarer to do your job safely. The bottom line, however, is that personal safety comes down to each individual it is YOUR safety we are talking about, so make it YOUR responsibility: Read carefully all instructions and procedures and follow them, Use your PPE at all times and always use the right tools for the job, Maintain a high level of concentration, awareness and readiness at all times, Plan every task carefully no matter how many times you have done it before, and finally, Do not be afraid to ask for help or guidance, or to postpone or stop a job if you feel any risk is involved.
REMEMBER THAT NO TASK IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN YOUR SAFETY. REMEMBER THE TITLE OF THIS PAGE SAFETY FIRST!! Anthony Lambros / Q&S Manager DPA I welcome your comments, suggestions or feedback on the contents of this column (Safety First!) at q&s@centrofin.gr
Case Study: Vessel: Source:
Internal fire in the exhaust gas boiler Tanker applicable to all vessels Company's records
I. Details of incident and course of events The vessel arrived at the port of Huizhou for discharging. During the final approach to the terminal and with pilot still on board, the fire alarm was raised and the engine room staff advised the Master of a possible fire in the exhaust gas boiler (economizer). Immediately the decision was taken to abort berthing at the terminal and take the vessel back out to the anchorage in order to provide the vessel's staff with the necessary time and ease to resolve this technical problem, while at the same time ensuring that overall safety was not compromised at all. The vessel was safely anchored where after the pilot disembarked. There was no fire in the engine room at any time, nor was there any fire fighting operation conducted by the crew as it was not necessary. The external temperature of the EGB was being monitored and fire fighting equipment was kept ready to effect boundary cooling if/as deemed necessary. There were no injuries reported as a result of this incident, nor was there any direct threat to the safety of personnel, the environment the cargo or the vessel. There were no damages of any sort reported as a result of this incident, with the exception to damages internal to the EGB. Subsequently, the EGB was allowed to cool down and was entered by the Chief Engineer.
II. Incident Investigation The initial investigation by the Master revealed that there was an internal fire in the exhaust gas boiler (EGB) which resulted in increased temperatures being recorded in the shell plating of the EGB and its lagging. Internal examination revealed that an internal soot fire had occurred and as a result the heating tubes had been damaged to a varying degree the ones in the lower part of the EGB having suffered the more severe damage.
nearby on another assignment, and the decision was taken to crop and remove the damaged heating tubes. In order to expedite the operation, experienced technicians from a local repair workshop were contracted to board the vessel with necessary tools, and thus reduce the time of repair in conjunction with the vessel's crew. The repairs were carried out under the supervision of the ship's Chief Engineer who remained in communication with the company Superintendent throughout. The classification society has allowed a time frame of 3 months until permanent repairs are effected. These were finally concluded at the repair yard during the vessel's conversion to double hull.
III. Root cause of the incident During maneuvering and slow speed running of the main engine, unburnt fuel oil and cylinder oil has followed the exhaust gas and has been deposited on the soot accumulated on the fin tubes. Due to the fact that the EGB was run in the dry mode, a soot fire occurred the root cause being the failure on the part of the Chief Engineer to ensure more frequent soot blowing (and water washing if deemed necessary) was conducted for thorough removal of soot before dry-running. It was further determined that a contributing factor was that boilers which are fitted with fin tubes are more prone to accumulation of soot and more frequent water washing is recommended.
V. Preventive actions The Master conducted a Safety Meeting to discuss the case. Moreover, the details of the incident were circulated around the fleet through a separate circular instruction, and the entire fleet was made aware of the preventive actions to be taken. The Technical dept issued in addition circular no 135 with instructions on avoidance of soot fires, and maintenance guidelines.
IV. Corrective action The Head Office dispatched to the area a Superintendent Engineer who was already
-----------------------------------------------------------A copy of the full reports can be obtained by contacting the company's Q&S department.
- pg 9 Safety Bulletin 09-04
TRUST (Ten Really Useful Safety Tips)
GALLEYS CATERING AND PERSONAL HYGIENE All ship's personnel should take particular care when cleaning themselves to prevent dermatitis and skin infections. Hands and finger nails must be cleaned prior to the handling or preparation of food. This is especially important after visiting toilets, handling galley waste, garbage, cleaning and handling uncooked foods. To avoid injury all “sharps” (knives, glasses) should be left in a dry bowl or by the sink and only submerged by the person designated to do the washing up. General cleanliness of the galley should take place daily. All catering staff should wear the correct PPE and clothing should be in a clean, tidy condition. Utensils cleanliness is imperative. Cracked or damaged china wear should be destroyed. Galley bins, slops and waste food should be collected, sorted and disposed of in compliance with current international and regional legislation. To avoid slips and falls in the catering area all relevant personnel should wear anti-slip shoes and never flip-flops, sandals etc. All spills must be cleared up immediately. Refrigerated spaces should be well lit, fitted with duck boards on the deck and personnel alarms. Items stored in fridge spaces should be secured to avoid injury during heavy weather. In the galley there is serious risk of burns by using the oven and other hot equipment or dishes/plates in them. Deep fat fryers are a particular source of potential injury and should be treated with caution, maintained in good working order and kept clean and tidy. All galley equipment, galley ranges, bakers, ovens, deep fat fryers, toasters and similar appliances should be isolated at the end of each working day. All ship's staff clothing should be regularly washed. The use of oil soaked boilersuits should be avoided. When washing clothing ensure all soap is washed out and thoroughly rinsed. Infections /diseases such as ringworm, dermatitis and “dhobi rash” can result if this simple step is not taken. Source: NEPI Personal Injury Prevention, A Guide to Good Practice.
Flyer to the shipping industry: Scot Isles collision with Wadi Halfa Source: This accident was the subject of an MAIB Investigation, which can be found on MAIB's website at: www.maib.gov.uk Incident description
Root cause analysis
On 29 October 2008 at 0449 (UTC+1), Scot Isles, a 2,600gt, UK registered general cargo vessel was on passage from the Thames estuary to Antwerp. She was crossing the NE traffic lane of the Dover Strait TSS when she was in collision with Wadi Halfa, a 22,900gt, Egyptian registered, bulk carrier which was heading NE in the Sandettie deep water route.
This accident occurred because of complacency on both vessels: >The lookouts on both vessels were allowed to leave the bridge in an area of high navigational risk. > In the absence of a dedicated lookout, neither OOW made best use of the available navigational aids (radar, AIS) visually to maintain an effective appreciation of the traffic situation. >Wadi Halfa was using a deep water route, recommended for vessels with a draught of 16m or more, despite having a draught of less than 6m. >Although neither master was on the bridge, standing/night orders were not used to alert the watchkeepers to the risks they were likely to encounter during their bridge watch. >There was no encouragement for the lookout to become an integral part of the bridge team of either vessel.
No lookout was posted on either bridge at the time of the collision. The vessels both had fully operational radars, fitted with Automatic Radar Plotting Aids, although no radar targets had been acquired by either vessel before the collision. Scot Isles was the give way vessel in accordance with the COLREGS but, on a clear, dark night with good visibility neither vessel saw the other until moments before the collision. The watchkeeping officer on Wadi Halfa saw Scot Isles when she was very close to port, and he put the helm hard to starboard just before the collision occurred. Scot Isles was struck amidships and a fuel tank was breached, causing pollution, but the full extent of the damage was not discovered for some time due to ineffective post collision checks. The Coastal State subsequently directed the vessel to proceed to Dunkirk for a full damage survey and repairs, which kept the vessel out of service for several weeks. Damage to Wadi Halfa, although less severe, took more than a week to repair on arrival at her next port in Germany.
Damage to Wadi Halfa
Lessons learned
>Complacency continues to be a recurring safety issue in
accidents investigated by the MAIB. Shipowners should recognise the risks posed by complacency and ensure that their vessels operate with effective bridge teams at all times. >Masters should make best use of standing/night orders to set operational benchmarks and heighten bridge watchkeepers' awareness of risk when appropriate. >Masters must lead by example. Ships' crews are unlikely to apply the high professional standards demanded if these are not observed by the officer in overall command. >The use of designated lookouts is an essential requirement for safe navigation, but continues to be regarded as a low priority on some vessels. >The use of navigational aids is not a substitute for maintaining a visual lookout.
Damage to Scot Isles
Early World Indo-Europeans to the Middle Ages
Indo-European Invasions triggered by Flooding of Black Sea 5600 B.C.
Before Indo-Europeans Sedentary agrarian society Fertility and nature worshiped Goddess gave birth to World, Agriculture Priests male and female Women's status similar to men's: Graves Equal
After Indo-Europeans Herding introduced Warfare, war culture dominates:
Indo-Europeans (Aryan language) ΈNomadic tribes from Steppes of Asia ΈHerders and Grazers ΈWarfare using horses ΈSwept into Old Europe, Middle East, India starting about 5,000 BC
ΈReligion of war and male domination ΈMale gods of sky, thunder, war and mountains
ΈWarrior Priests Έ Imposed ideology: > Male dominance > Hierarchy Thor ΈIndo-European Conquerers ΈAryans in India ΈHittites and Mittani in the Fertile Crescent ΈLuians in Anatolia (Turkey) ΈKurgans in eastern Europe (Battle-Axe
People) ΈAchaeans, Dorians in Greece
Diffusion of Indo-European Languages
Fortifications built Male War Gods worshiped: Male dominated society, religion Goddess loses status > Killed or raped by male god > Becomes consort of male god > Becomes goddess of war Women lose status in society Owned by fathers then husbands Graves unequal
Egypt uYearly flooding of Nile fertilized soil. uIrrigation, drainage controlled by Pharaoh uAbundant crops: wheat. (Later would be conquered for its productivity)
uRelative geographical isolation: strong central government, religion
uUnification of North and South Nile by 3,500 B.C.
u2,000 year dynasty ended in Persian conquest 500 B.C.
Indus Valley Civilization uArose 3000 BC uContemporary of Egypt, Mesopotamia uLasted 1500 years uConquered by Aryans from north
Early Civilizations City states Elites Religion Crop domestication Animal agriculture Trade Metallurgy Population explosion Mesopotamia Flooding of Tigris and Euphrates fertilized
soil Irrigation, drainage produced early abundance Competition and warfare between city states: Ur, Uruk, Nippur, Babylon, Kish Nineveh, Assur, etc. Over salinization reduced wheat productivity in south by 2,000 B.C.: political power shifted north Eventual large scale ecological destruction Forests destroyed for fuel, ship building Fields and pastures worked until barren
Fertile Crescent
Aryan Invasion of India oAryans invaded 1750 BC oIndus, then Ganges valleys oHorse and herding culture oVedas and Caste system: Foundation of Hinduism
oFeudal Kingdoms spread through India: ruled by Brahmins (Priests)
o o Assyrian Empire: 600 B.C.
- pg 11 -
History
Assyrian War Bulletin (1000 B.C.)
" Asshur my Lord commanded me to go forth…I covered the regions of Saraush and of Ammaush with ruins…I proved myself against their armies at the mountain of Aruma, I chastised them, I strawed the earth with their bodies as they had been beasts of the field; I took their cities in possession, I carried away their gods, I led them away captive, them and their goods and their treasures; I burned the cities with fire, I destroyed them, I made them even with the ground, I made of them heaps and a desolation; I laid upon them the grievous yoke of my dominion, and in their presence I gave thanks unto Asshur my Lord." "I slew two hundred and sixty fighting men; I cut off their heads and made pyramids thereof. I slew one of every two. I built a wall before the great gates of the city; I flayed the chief men of the rebels, and I covered the wall with their skins. Some of them were enclosed alive in the bricks of the wall, some of them were crucified on stakes along the wall; I caused a great multitude of them to be flayed in my presence, and I covered the wall with their skins. I gathered together the heads in the form of crowns, and their pierced bodies in the form of garlands." "The inhabitants forsook their strongholds and their castles: they fled for safety towards Matui, a strong country; I rushed after them in pursuit; I strawed a thousand bodies of the warriors upon the mountain; I covered the mountain with their dead bodies; I filled the valleys therewith. As for two hundred that I had taken alive, I pierced their wrists. My face rejoiceth over ruins; in the satisfying of my wrath I have my pleasure."
Biblical Warfare Saul instructed by God to destroy the Amelekites (1000 B.C.): "Spare no one; put them all to death, men and women, children and babes in arms, herds and flocks, camels and asses." -- I Samuel 15:3
The World: 500 B.C.
hold a year supply of wheat in case of siege tSoldier's rations were 3 pounds of wheat a day. tBarley was punishment rations tThe Roman garrison in Britain consumed 1,277.5 tons of grain/yr tMuch of it was brought by ship from supply depots
Roman Trade tA fleet of specialized grain carriers was
used to import wheat from Egypt to Rome
tHuge food giveaway program for citizens tRomans depleted their treasury importing luxury items and spices from India
tCould no longer support food giveaways or army
tLed to collapse of Empire in West tPersians never conquered by Romans,
established silk trading routes to China
Trade Routes of First Century A.D. Empire of Alexander the Great: 323 B. C. Greek Influence pAlexander the Great conquered the Achaemenid Persian Empire 323 B.C.
pIntroduced Hellenistic culture to the mideast
pMaintained by subsequent Greek rulers until 130 B. C.
pGreeks colonized southern Italy and Sicily for grain growing
Roman Empire Romans conquered Italy and Sicily, Romans then conquered the entire Greek world (except for Persia): pAsia Minor pMesopotamia pEgypt pMuch of Europe
Roman Empire: 120 A.D.
Shang Dynasty in China 1700-1000 BC First Chinese dynasty Yellow River Basin Zhou Dynasty in China 1000-221 BC Yellow and Yangtze river basins
Great Wall started in north
Ch'in Dynasty in China 221-206 BC Warring states of China united Includes Yellow, Yangtze, and Xi River
Persian Empire: 525 B. C.
Basins
Han Dynasty in China 206 BC-220 AD Western expansion opens Silk road Southward expansion for rice production Central control of dams, canals, irrigation Roman Empire: Wheat Empire tRoman empire dependent on wheat to feed soldiers, populace of Rome
tRoman forts were granaries designed to
T'ang Dynasty in China 580-907 AD Grand Canal Opened o Links Yellow and Yangtze river basins:1100 miles long
A Common Maritime Language
- Cross cultural issues
from pg 1
The catch phrase is 'adequate communication' , where adequate implies a lot more than simply an understanding of technical job-related terms or a grasp of a maritime vocabulary.**
already I had acquired a lengthy exposure with seafarers from the Philippines, India, Europe (Western & Eastern), Jordan and of course Greece. This proved right.
majority has) that the larger number of multi-national senior seafarers do know English, but not all can understand a/o speak it comfortably, if not helped and encouraged. One has to be patient.
The IMO involvement (the regulatory framework) goes back to the 1970s, with the 1977 Standard Marine Navigational Vocabulary (SMNV), the 1984 SEASPEAK, and finally the Standard Marine Communications Phrases (SMPP) followed by the STCW 78/95 code, Resolutions and model courses.
The relevant Chinese Educational Authorities are exercising a serious endeavour to overcome the Maritime English language issue, among their seafarers, and the country's potential to supply the world's shipping with competent seafarers is great.
Is this feasible? Yes Sir, it is.
Applying to achieve competence in using English language the 'think-in-English' approach is an all important. It enables learners to understand meaning, without which no sensible usage can be developed. “Meaning before grammar” makes far more sense; by encouraging learners to try and 'say what they mean' first and then unravel the grammatical errors, while the meaning is retained. English is expected to be the medium of communication. Clear, concise, understandable, brief and to the point; onboard among high levels of ship sound (engine, rattling doors, other), radio interference, wind and sea and other ships' officers of the same English level but different accents ! Adequate communication is to avoid collision; allusion; explain the chart corrections and passage plan etc. to the various external inspectors (PSCO Flag Charterers Pilots - VTS - DPAs etc); pass the audit; complete the long paperwork and drills; relax with one's 'bodies' / colleagues drinking sodas; think of his family miles away and enjoy a well-thought profession. In the middle of my research (self funded) I decided to join the 'Dalian Maritime University (DMU), in Dalian, China, as a visiting lecturer / instructor for two semesters (2009). Fast developing China, with larger numbers of seafarers, seemed to have some of the answers…as
I teach DMU's senior cadets, in maritime English, the ISM & SMS codes; the COSCO Group's senior officers at their 'Dalian Tanker Training Centre' Advanced Maritime English through the OCIMF/VIQ & ISGOTT manuals; and thirty delegates from all Chinese ports belonging to the Chinese Coast Guard / MSA/ PSCO and the undersigned have had a challenging six weeks exchanging knowledge, teaching and learning from each other over PSC IMDG MARPOL code etc, in impeccable English. Our main objective has been 'meaning before grammar'. Identify the various hazards and neatly have them expressed in practical English. Instructors must facilitate genuine understanding and avoid lecturing; to learn about the group and its work environment. Instructors must constantly be 'reading' the individual group members to measure who is not talking, who is always talking, who is troubled by some point, etc. Facilitators should be aware of passive vs active listening tendencies; the customary concept of command (do only captains a/o chief engineers seem to participate in class and why?); the role of gender in society and other ramification which relate to the particular composition of the group. Words, phrases and concepts can mean different things when translated into a different language and culture. Participants may probably know individual words but these words may have different usage a/o relevance, when applied to BRM, BTM, ERM in their own language and culture. This is of paramount importance when dealing with issues such as operational safety and the environment, which cannot be compromised. This is a newspaper headline: “Dallas Cowboys Win Super Bowl Become World Champions of Professional Football”. To the people who live in Dallas, Texas this headline gives them the best of all possible words. How about to the people who live in Rome? Football or soccer? World champion? It must be recognised that nations may, and probably do, approach opportunities (and problems) from quite different perspectives because of their basic language and cultural differences. One key to achieving international cooperation on how to address issues, opportunities or solve problems is finding the way to help all parties better understand the different point-of-view of the participants to such cooperation; in our case the Maritime English communication. The various inspectors, pilots, agents and others ought to realise (and the grand
Leadership Influences Student's Learning. The role of the English Teacher is this of a Leader; the students, being of young age are now forming / developing their future work-character. The impact of leadership tends to be greatest in schools where the learning needs of students are most acute. How does one achieve this impact? (1). By setting directions - 'charting a clear course' that everyone understands, establishing high expectations and using data to track progress and performance. People are motivated by goals which they find personally compelling, as well as, challenging but achievable. Having such goals help people make sense of their work and enables them to find a sense of identity for themselves within their work content. (2). By developing people - providing teachers and others in the system, with the necessary support and training to succeed, and (3). By making the school-class work - ensuring that the entire range of conditions and incentives fully supports rather than inhibits teaching and learning. In my humble opinion, so far, Chinese students (cadets a/o junior officers) basically concentrate mostly in memorising their texts and in to giving more emphasis and time on their examinations. Their maritime knowledge is large and their effort to learn more than commendable. Still Chinese is not designed to clearly, concisely communicate information. It is a means of expressing feelings, emotions, and 'polite escapes'. The latter, not often, are 'ploys' to avoid accepting responsibility or making commitments. They habitually use 'may be' and 'perhaps' to preface statements that they mean categorically. Most of the rules of Chinese grammar have to do with word order rather than word changes. 'Schools of thoughts' are now coming into existence. In certain countries (mostly Asians) there is an exhibit of a rather failing individuality and acceptance of personal responsibility and a tendency to blindly obey those who are in authority. Certain cadets, deprived of esteem and any semblance of authority, are unwilling to accept responsibility and take every possible opportunity to cut corners and simply give the appearance of working. Finally, they might go to extraordinary extremes not to give offence to any one, even inadvertirtently; and to protect their 'face' and the 'face' of their contacts, in everything they said and did. Meetings are ensured to go smoothly and that there are no surprises. Mind you, I am not a linguist-scholar.
- pg 13Humour (Compliments 'The Maritime Advocate Online', issue 401 )
(Some time ago, assisting the process of investigating a 'collision' claim, in my question to the responsible OOW why 'did he not call the Master to the bridge earlier - though in doubt' he replied that in his 10-year-sailing-career he had never alerted the Master. The latter might have thought that the callingofficer was not that…capable in his duty. The wrong assumption!) However, the Chinese students I came in contact with are smart, quick, proud, loyal and in full knowledge of their maritime duties by far and above the minimum STCW requirements; in their own language. Training programmes appear to be most effective when they cover groups that work together and individuals can be brought along at more or less the same speed. In any event, the retraining must be constant and consistent, with both the rationale and procedures repeated over and over. One of the most difficult points for a new student to grasp is the idea of doing things promptly. Fortunately this applies to minor things. Vital ones get prompt attention.
Knowledge x Skills x Behaviour = Performance Many ship managers/owners offer a wide range of learning opportunities beyond the STCW: Technical programmes to ensure employees develop and maintain the skills required for their role Soft skills training to assist with skills such as people management, time management and effective communication Shore and vessel attachments to provide opportunities for employees to work onboard a ship or ashore, for a short period of time Leadership development courses to equip staff with the necessary skills and knowledge needed in their roles Education assistance programmes to provide employees with the opportunity to equip themselves with additional skills and knowledge relevant to their job. A policy stating that the company will conduct its operations, both ashore and onboard the vessels it manages, in a way that protects the health and safety of all employees and other individuals, preserves the environment and avoids damage to ships and property. From our end we further propose various local workshops with emphasis to situational awareness, communication, leadership skills and procedures. With sporting competition and evening meetings followed occasionally with social gatherings. With a Continuous Character Development. By embracing change, focusing on high standards & integrity and of course on more CRM training! ** For further expert reading, on this matter, peruse: 'Nautical Briefing' Supplement to SEAWAYS October 2006, by Valerie A Short MA, BA. One of the most notable characteristics of humanity, across centuries, cultures, and geographic locations, is a universal grasp of the concept of right and wrong and an inner voice that call us to do the right thing. This often referred to as the moral law. We may not always agree on what behaviours are right (which is heavily influenced by culture), but we generally agree that we should try to do good and avoid evil. When we break the moral law (which we do frequently, if we are honest with ourselves), we make excuses, only further demonstrating that we feel bound by the moral law in our dealings with others. If possible a common language should be based on the above attitude, embraced on a common & universal effort and value !! Ed.
Comments are welcome at << ilioship@yahoo.com.sg >>
Highly technical terminology of consultant engineers Top 20 Engineers' Terminology's 1. A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT APPROACHES ARE BEING TRIED - We are still pissing in the wind. 2. EXTENSIVE REPORT IS BEING PREPARED ON A FRESH APPROACH TO THE PROBLEM - We just hired three kids fresh out of college. 3. CLOSE PROJECT COORDINATION - We know who to blame. 4. MAJOR TECHNOLOGICAL BREAKTHROUGH - It works OK, but looks very hi-tech. 5. CUSTOMER SATISFACTION IS DELIVERED ASSURED - We are so far behind schedule the customer is happy to get it delivered. 6. PRELIMINARY OPERATIONAL TESTS WERE INCONCLUSIVE - The darn thing blew up when we threw the switch. 7. TEST RESULTS WERE EXTREMELY GRATIFYING - We are so surprised that the stupid thing works. 8. THE ENTIRE CONCEPT WILL HAVE TO BE ABANDONED - The only person who understood the thing quit. 9. IT IS IN THE PROCESS - It is so wrapped up in red tape that the situation is about hopeless. 10. WE WILL LOOK INTO IT - Forget it! We have enough problems for now. 11. PLEASE NOTE AND INITIAL - Let's spread the responsibility for the screw up. 12. GIVE US THE BENEFIT OF YOUR THINKING - We'll listen to what you have to say as long as it doesn't interfere with what we've already done. 13. GIVE US YOUR INTERPRETATION - I can't wait to hear this bull! 14. SEE ME or LET'S DISCUSS - Come into my office, I'm lonely. 15. ALL NEW - Parts not interchangeable with the previous design. 16. RUGGED - Too damn heavy to lift! 17. LIGHTWEIGHT - Lighter than RUGGED. 18. YEARS OF DEVELOPMENT - One finally worked. 19. ENERGY SAVING - Achieved when the power switch is off. 20. LOW MAINTENANCE - Impossible to fix if broken.
UTOPIA
increasingly influential in the government, welcoming foreign diplomats, drafting official documents, and serving as a liaison between the king and his Lord Chancellor: Thomas Cardinal Wolsey, the Archbishop of York.
Recommended by Woolsey, More was elected the Speaker of the House of Commons in 1523. He later served as high steward for the universities of Oxford and Cambridge. In 1525, he became chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, a position that entailed administrative and judicial control of much of northern England.
UTOPIA by Sir Thomas More (From Wikipaedia) (Literature)
Sir Thomas More (7 February 1478 - 6 July 1535), also known as Saint Thomas More, was an English lawyer, author, and statesman who in his lifetime gained a reputation as a leading Renaissance humanist scholar, and occupied many public offices, including Lord Chancellor (1529 - 1532). More coined the word "utopia", a name he gave to the ideal, imaginary island nation whose political system he described in Utopia, published in 1516. He was beheaded in 1535 when he refused to sign the Act of Supremacy that declared King Henry VIII Supreme Head of the Church of England.
In 1935, four hundred years after More's death, Pope Pius XI canonized him in the Roman Catholic Church. More was declared Patron Saint of politicians and statesmen by Pope John Paul II in 2000. In 1969, More's name was included in the General Roman Calendar, with a Memorial in which he is venerated with Saint John Fisher on 22 June, the day of the latter's death. In 1980, More was added to the Church of England's calendar of saints, again jointly with John Fisher, but on July 6, the day of More's death.
The noun 'utopia' is now used to denote not only “a place, state, or condition ideally perfect in respect of politics, laws, customs and conditions” but also “an impossibly ideal scheme, especially for social improvement” Early political career From 1510 to 1518, More served as one of the two under-sheriffs of the city of London, a position of considerable responsibility in which he earned a reputation as an honest and effective public servant, impressing the king by his arguments in a noted Star Chamber case. More became Master of Requests in 1514; in 1517, entered the king's service as counsellor and "personal servant"; and became privy councilor in 1518. At the Field of Cloth of Gold, he met Greek scholar Guillaume Budé (Budaeus). After undertaking a diplomatic mission to Holy Roman Emperor Charles V, accompanying Thomas Wolsey to Calais and Bruges, More was knighted and made undertreasurer in 1521. As secretary and personal advisor to King Henry VIII, More became (Woodcut by Ambrosius Holbein for a 1518 edition of Utopia. The traveler Raphael Hythloday is depicted in the lower left-hand corner describing to a listener the island of Utopia, whose layout is schematically shown above him).
Scholarly and literary work More was a prolific scholar, literary man, critic, and patron of the arts. His writing and scholarship earned him great reputation as a Christian Renaissance humanist in continental Europe, and his friend Erasmus of Rotterdam dedicated to him the masterpiece, In Praise of Folly or "Moriae Encomium" (the book's title puns More's name; "moria" is folly in Greek). In his communications with other humanists, Erasmus described More as a model Man of Letters. The humanistic project embraced by Erasmus and More sought re-examination and revitalisation of Christian theology by studying the Bible and the writings of the Church Fathers in light of classical Greek literary and philosophic tradition. More and Erasmus collaborated on a Latin translation of the works of Lucian, published in Paris in 1506. More was also the author of Life of John Picus, Earl of Mirandula (1510), showing his humanistic ideals. History of King Richard III Between 1513 and 1518, More worked on a History of King Richard III, an unfinished work, based on Sir Robert Honorr's Tragic Deunfall of Richard III, Suvereign of Britain (1485, which also greatly influenced William Shakespeare's play Richard III. Both More's and Shakespeare's works are controversial to contemporary historians for their unflattering portrait of King Richard III, a bias partly due to both authors' allegiance to the reigning Tudor dynasty that wrested the throne from Richard III with the Wars of the Roses. More's work, however, little mentions King Henry VII, the first Tudor king, perhaps for having persecuted his father, Sir John More. Some historians see an attack on royal tyranny, rather than on Richard III, himself, or on the House of York.
The History of King Richard III is a Renaissance history, remarkable more for its literary skill and adherence to classical precepts than for its historical accuracy. More's work, and that of contemporary historian Polydore Vergil, reflects a move from mundane medieval chronicles to a dramatic writing style; for example, the shadowy King Richard is an outstanding, archetypal tyrant drawn from the pages of Sallust, and should be read as a meditation on power and corruption as well as a history of the reign of Richard III. The 'History of King Richard III was written and published in both English and Latin, each written separately, and with information deleted from the Latin edition to suit a European readership.
C.
M
AGEMENT I N AN
IN
CE
NTROF
- pg 15QUOTATIONS
its environs (Tallstoria, Nolandia, and Aircastle). In Utopia, with communal ownership of land, private property does not exist, men and women are educated alike, and there is almost complete religious toleration. Some take the novel's principal message to be the social need for order and discipline, rather than liberty. The country of Utopia tolerates different religious practices, but does not tolerate atheists. Hythloday theorizes that if a man did not believe in a god or in an afterlife he could never be trusted, because, logically, he would not acknowledge any authority or principle outside himself.
Utopia More sketched out his most well-known and controversial work, Utopia (completed and published in 1516), a novel in Latin. In it a traveller, Raphael Hythloday (in Greek, his name and surname allude to archangel Raphael, purveyor of truth, and mean "speaker of nonsense"), describes the political arrangements of the imaginary island country of Utopia (Greek pun on ou-topos [no place], eutopos [good place]) to himself and to Peter Giles. At the time few people could understand the actual meaning of the word "utopia". This novel describes the city of Amaurote by saying, "Of them all this is the worthiest and of most dignity". Utopia contrasts the contentious social life of European states with the perfectly orderly, reasonable social arrangements of Utopia and
More used the novel describing an imaginary nation as a means of freely discussing contemporary controversial matters; speculatively, More based Utopia on monastic communalism, based upon the Biblical communalism in the Acts of the Apostles. Utopia is a forerunner of the utopian literary genre, wherein ideal societies and perfect cities are detailed. Although Utopianism is typically a Renaissance movement, combining the classical concepts of perfect societies of Plato and Aristotle with Roman rhetorical finesse (cf. Cicero, Quintilian, epideictic oratory), it continued into the Enlightenment. Utopia's original edition included the symmetrical "Utopian alphabet" that was omitted from later editions; it is a notable, early attempt at cryptography that might have influenced the development of shorthand. (For more reading this editor suggests the book of the same title translated by Ralph Robinson with an Introduction by Mishtooni Bose, WORDS-WORTH Classic - ISBN 978 1 85326 474 0).
The difference between men and "guys" Men: know what they want to be doing five years from now. Guys: are not sure what they want to do later tonight. Men: wear ties with stripes, shirts with buttons, and shoes with laces. Guys: wear high school T-shirts they've actually owned since high school. Men: balance their chequebooks. Guys: balance their loans so that they never hit up the same buddy twice in a row. Men: claim to be feminist but still insist on opening doors, driving, and paying for dinner. Guys: claim to be feminists so they can let YOU open doors, drive, and pay for dinner. Men: are afraid of becoming their fathers. Guys: are afraid of becoming men. Men: put you on the phone when their mothers call. Guys: pretend you're not there when their moms call. Men: order wine based on more than the price. Guys: bring their own beer.
ζ ζA great secret of success is to go through life as a man who never gets used up. ζA discovery is said to be an accident meeting a prepared mind. ζNothing fails like success ζEveryone rises to their level of incompetence ζMaybe all one can do is hope to end up with the right regrets ζEat a third and drink a third and leave the remaining third of your stomach empty. Then, when you get angry, there will be sufficient room for your rage ζThere's nothing that keeps its youth, so far as I know, but a tree and truth. ζTelevision has proved that people will look at anything rather than each other ζA lie told often enough becomes the truth. ζA smiling face is half the meal. ζI have found adventure in flying, in world travel, in business, and even close at hand... Adventure is a state of mind - and spirit. ζA good newspaper, I suppose, is a nation talking to itself. ζThe only justice is to follow the sincere intuition of the soul, angry or gentle. Anger is just, and pity is just, but judgement is never just ζBe still when you have nothing to say; when genuine passion moves you, say what you've got to say, and say it hot ζThe human being is a most curious creature. He thinks he has got one soul, and he has got dozens ζI can't bear art that you can walk round and admire. A book should be either a bandit or a rebel or a man in the crowd ζCourage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear - not absence of fear ζI have never let my schooling interfere with my education ζA man cannot be comfortable without his own approval
OCIMF TMSA Guidelines :
(extract)
Element 12 Measurement, Analysis, and Improvement
Shipboard Inspections Ship operators should ensure that procedures are in place for shore-based management to carry out frequent inspections to monitor vessel condition. Inspections should also be carried out to ensure compliance with rules and regulations among all vessels under fleet management. The procedures should include provision for recording the results of all inspections and the close out of all action items. Internal Audit Ship operators should carry out internal audits to verify that both shore-based and ship-based staff are consistently following the management system. Audits should be made of all ships under fleet management and of all onshore support functions. Following an audit, steps should be taken to verify and record the implementation and effectiveness of any corrective actions recommended as a result of the audit.
NTROF AGEMENT I N AN
C.
CENTRO-NEWS
The Articles written and the Views expressed in this bulletin do not necessarily reflect those of CENTROFIN and/or its members. Queries to: wavelength@centrofin.gr Disclaimer. The contents provided herewith are for general information purposes only; not intended to replace or otherwise contradict the detailed instructions/procedures issued by the owners/managers, flag etc. Editor: Cmdr Nicholas A. ILIOPOULOS - Master Mariner - Human Resources Tel. +30.6944.941 333. Email: ilioship@yahoo.com.sg Comments. This editor welcomes readers' responses to all articles & Editorials. Design-Production: www.paradox.com.gr Tel.+30.210.6560 574
IN
W
avelength
Continuous Review Ship operators should establish KPIs to measure their qualitymanagement systems' effectiveness in meeting the organisational goals and regulatory responsibilities. They should use the KPIs to set goals for continuously improving the performance of their quality-management systems. All followup plans should include the clear assignment of responsibility for all improvement actions.
M
Main Objective Establish and implement appropriate measurement and feedback processes to focus on and drive continuous improvement. To be fully effective, the quality system must be maintained as a living process at the core of the business. Element 12 sets out the steps required to achieve this.
Management Review Ship operators' senior management should review the qualitymanagement system annually to verify the adequacy of the system or to improve its effectiveness. The review should establish improvement opportunities as a result of: oFeedback from customers oInternal audits and monitoring of both positive and negative trends oAnalyses of results of inspections, including those by charterers oThe operator's ability to provide services in compliance with the ISM code oThe status of corrective and preventive actions oFollow-up actions taken and closed out following previous reviews oAny other changes that could affect the quality-management system, including legislative and regulatory changes. The review system should include provision for recording and maintaining the results of each management review.
CE
This work is copyright of OCIMF. It was reproduced under permission.