The varied and conflicting demands on our time, from professional commitments to domestic responsibilities, push us to squeeze the most from every minute (Hochschild, 1997; Perlow, 1998, 1999).
Modern innovations like fast food drive-through’s, mobile telephones, microwave ovens, productivity applications etc. continually increase our ability to get more done in less time. Organizations strain to make the most efficient use of their employees, laying off those who can be spared and pushing those who remain to do more in fewer hours (Schor, 1991).
Experts such as Hochschild and Schor recognize the pressure that companies are under and highlight the impacts that can be felt by their employees such as constraining cognitive capacity and impairing performance. The maritime shipping industry is not exempt from these effects with ships being capital intensive assets, and where the operating costs or expenses (OpEx) play a major role in running the ships.
Time Pressure has been recognised in many areas of operation and there are numerous high-profile examples: -
Navigation: The request to meet a ‘challenging’ Estimated time of arrival/departure (ETA/ETD) can lead to shortcuts being taken or insufficient time available for voyage preparation. Examples of this include the Titanic sinking, Herald of the free Enterprise and the more recently the grounding of Rena[1].
Mooring/Unmooring: Pressure may be present to berth a vessel or to unberth to clear the berth. The Hoegh Osaka capsize is a supporting example.
Cargo operations: Pressure to prepare tanks, holds or cargo itself may lead to incidents in cargo spaces. Incorrect or incomplete lashing of containers plays a part in the eventual loss of containers overboard. There has been a trend of increased containers losses in the recent years.
Maintenance: Pressure to complete repairs may result in rushed repairs causing damage to critical equipment or injury to crew.
Given that the existence of time pressure in general is beyond doubt, and that there is no formal recognition of time pressure within the maritime shipping industry, there is an opportunity to provide industry stakeholders with insight on the subject.
To establish effective management of the risk associated with time pressure, there is a need to:
- Recognise where excessive time pressure is influencing behaviour.
- Identify where existing safeguards may be used to avoid incidents.
- Evaluate where help should be available under ISM.