Officers
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Prof Mark Sujan, Chair
University of York, UK E-mail: mark.sujan@york.ac.uk |
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Dr Kate Preston, Co-chair
University of York, UK E-mail: kate.preston@york.ac.uk |
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Capt. Parveen Ahlawat, Co-chair
Fleet Management, India E-mail: ahlawat3182@gmail.com |
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Aitana Sanchez Gonzales, Co-chair
University of Oviedo, Spain E-mail: sanchezaitana@uniovi.es |
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Abhijith Balakrishnan, Co-chair
Scorpio Marine Management, India E-mail: abalakrishnan@scorpiogroup.net |
| Octavian Postolache, Co-chair
Ecole Nationale Supérieure Maritime, France |
The IEA Maritime Human Factors / Ergonomics Technical Committee is a special interest group bringing together human factors / ergonomics specialists and enthusiastic individuals from the maritime sector. The Maritime Human Factors / Ergonomics Technical Committee works independently but with potential links to other IEA TCs, such as Resilience Engineering TC and Transport Ergonomics and Human Factors TC.
Mission
The IEA Maritime Human Factors / Ergonomics TC aims to advance and promote the contribution of human factors / ergonomics towards a balance between safety, performance mental health and wellbeing of people working in the global maritime sector. The TC will develop a collective position on key challenges and opportunities for maritime HF/E, foster collaboration among researchers and practitioners, and represent the field in international maritime dialogues. The working group will operate in a manner that safeguards the privacy of participants and external partners, and upholds their autonomy, ensuring that engagement is informed and voluntary at all times.
Objectives
a. Establish and maintain an international forum for individuals and organisations interested in maritime HF/E to connect, collaborate and share knowledge. b. Raise awareness and understanding of HF/E among key maritime stakeholders, including regulators, industry leaders, industry bodies (e.g., OCIMF, BIMCO, INTERTANKO, RIGHTSHIP, ICS), national and international professional organisations (e.g., the Nautical Institute, Honorable company of master mariners), seafarers and shore-based managers and operators. c. Develop and disseminate evidence-based solutions, position papers, guidance and tools to support integration of HF/E principles into maritime policy, regulation, design and operations. d. Support capacity building and education by promoting HF/E training and professional development opportunities in maritime contexts. e. Represent the field of maritime HF/E within the IEA and contribute to cross-sector initiatives on safety and resilience.
Membership
The IEA Maritime Human Factors / Ergonomics TC is open to anyone with an interest in human factors / ergonomics in the maritime sector, even though a core group of at least six members will come from ergonomics associations affiliated with IEA (such as CIEHF in the UK). The TC encourages external participation from e.g. seafarers, maritime technology developers and regulators. Actively contributing members are expected to attend TC meetings regularly and take on actions as appropriate. Corresponding members of the TC function as gateways into other communities and organisations and are expected to engage with the TC mainly via email.
TC Executive Committee
The executive committee provides strategic direction and operational oversight for the TC. It consists of a Chair, who serves as the primary liaison with the IEA, and co-chairs who support the coordination of activities and help ensure progress towards the TC’s objectives.
Meetings
It is anticipated that meetings will be held remotely every 4 – 6 weeks, with email discussions inbetween as required.
Activities
- Webinar Series: The TC aims to foster collaboration and discussion of HF/E topics among a broad range of maritime stakeholders. The TC intends to set up a series of themed webinars on emerging and foundational topics in maritime HF/E. Topics may include:
a. HF/E in autonomous shipping and maritime AI
b. Fatigue and wellbeing
c. Organisational learning and safety event learning response in complex maritime operations
- Capacity Building: The TC aims to raise awareness of HF/E among maritime stakeholders and to contribute to the professionalization of the discipline in the maritime sector. The TC will consider the feasibility of developing:
a. A framework or a guidance document outlining core professional competencies in maritime HF/E.
b. A position paper or guidance document outlining key high-level HF/E principles for maritime stakeholders.
- IEA 2027 Triennial Congress in London: The TC will plan a special session on maritime HF/E with a particular focus on the design and use of AI in the maritime sector. Topics may include:
a. Human-AI teaming in intermittently staffed surface ships or remote operations.
b. Human-centred analysis and design frameworks for maritime AI.
c. Ethical considerations for AI deployment in maritime systems.