Yes, simulators are great bits of high tech engineering, but they swallow money to develop, partly because you need the man hours of a specialist trainer along with the software designers.
So, what swings the decision in favour of simulation exercises? As Keith Austin of Mabway Training explains, “You have to ask ‘what’s it going to cost you not to do it’, including the expense of repairing a disaster.” He adds that it’s not so straightforward: “The decision to invest will always be a financial one and even then… the lead time needs to be considered so that future technology is reflected at the time of delivery.”
Of course, a partnership helps: for example, Transas’ tug simulator project was assisted by Damen who donated the controls. It is both convincing enough to make you seasick and for the forces on the towing lines to ‘feel’ right.
Mr Austin points out, “The benefits in being able to ‘think the unthinkable’ – and indeed carry it out – are only possible in simulation…” But it’s worth noting that beyond the cleverness of a virtual space (which needs to be both robust, interactive and realistic), there’s the specified training requirement.
However, he adds simulations don’t stand alone, but says it’s still a “powerful tool” which needs to be coupled with a comprehensive training package to gain results. But if done properly, the benefits can be to smooth out a number of issues as realistic scenarios can be run through in a number of different ways.
For example, ports can sometimes be caught by a bit of tension not entirely accounted for by the line between the tugs and the ship. Its something exacerbated by the growth of ship sizes and new technology.
Marine pilot Nigel Stokes explains that while some ports encourage both parties getting “a better perspective” by going out with each other on service trips, the push to global privatisation has meant the roles are, in some places, growing apart, especially where a third party or outside contractor is involved. But manoeuvres are often demanding, and “both parties need to know exactly what is required and how to go about delivering it”, he adds.
However, the port is caught in the middle, and it could be a very good thing indeed to have a place for crossover teams to extend their knowledge of ‘how the other half live’ – if only to avoid difficulties arising like those between the CMA-CGM Debussy and the tug Vadeni as it attempted to change berths in Constanta in 2010.
James Norwood of Transas explains that its especially needed now that there’s a growing number of specialised handling berths across the world, with new LNG projects in northern Europe, such as Rotterdam and Gdansk, and a further number coming up in places like the Far East and Australia.
There are handling issues that come up around LNG, for example. “It’s not just about the right hardware, there’s a whole step-change in berthing and transfer requirements,” he says. Further, the berths are often at a distance from the main storage areas, and are so much more exposed.
“We created a very specific virtual LNG terminal for a Polish facility, to offer training that brought both the vessel and the landside terminal teams, together, so the two could learn to interact – safely,” explains Mr Norwood.
On the other hand, Bob Hubble of Wrightway does use sim terminals but adds, the necessary counterpoint to the high tech ability and knowledge, “are transferable human factor skills” and teaching these doesn’t mean a lot of very high end, specific simulations. “Its appropriate communication that still underpins safe, efficient behaviour,” he says, drawing the analogy of the difference between learning how to handle a car and driving it safely.
Mr Hubble points out one problem with generically applying team-building training to something like port or ship operations. “Team building takes social interaction, and a social vocabulary. But you haven’t got room for much of this in the professional maritime environment – so you need a particular space to teach people what’s appropriate, and what works.”
He explains that because a crane driver is isolated in the cab, he has to rely on a very narrow band of communication. “It’s usually down to voice, or hand signals, so you have to make sure that it is understood universally amongst the co-workers, and that its efficient.”
This is where the necessary ‘virtual space’ comes into play. It’s not necessary to match a specific crane or command centre in order to get people to think about how they are communicating – and to recognise communications may have to be pared right down to allow for fast decisions.
He adds, “If you get your communication style wrong in either direction there’s trouble. That is, if you try to communicate in a professional language in a social situation people will think you are being curt, and likewise, if you communicate socially on, say, a control bridge during a tense situation, you will cause problems.”
There’s also another, very important, element to consider to all this. A new terminal operation taking over from an older management may need to put in place a definite culture change. All the lectures in the world might simply ‘run off the backs’ of employees that have come across from a previous regime, and are simply waiting for what they consider the natural order to reassert itself. So, the more graphically you can show outcomes – especially the ones you wouldn’t want to happen in real life – the better.
But, there’s no way that you can get the people onboard a game or a virtual simulation without controlling the training and, importantly, the debriefing. This follow up can be overlooked, but it is extremely important to handle well as people can be surprised by what the playback part of the process shows about their actions.
“If you tell them what they have done, sometimes they simply don’t recognise it, even to the point of denial. But you play it back on the video and they can see it on the screen – and they can get a valuable insight into the effects of their own behaviour – both positive and negative,” says Mr Hubble.
“However, as a corollary, you need to manage people’s feelings. You want them to be able to reflect in a positive way on what they do, and point out the ways change can be effected. But change is very hard to handle, people often find it stressful, so you have to make sure its bite-sized chunks, with a lot of support. If you don’t manage this well, it is too easy to destroy people’s confidence, and you might have been better off not to have started the process.”
Mr Hubble concludes with one salient point that reflects on the rest of us, “People these days do tend to sit in their own isolated silos, and get comfortable with that. Which is why dealing with other people is hard, because it means adapting behaviour, and sometimes getting criticised.”
