Mentoring Seafarers for Understanding Maritime Risks and Safety Culture on Board

Abstract

For seafaring personnel, who are at the beginning of their maritime career on board ships, maritime companies provide informal guidance, which is part of the maritime tradition, within practical training courses/cadetship courses. Starting from the existing realities in the structure of seafaring personnel in the merchant marine, this paper presents the particularities of mentoring for a career in the maritime field. Among the aspects identified and highlighted in the mentoring process, the research focuses on the process of understanding maritime risks and the importance of safety culture on board ships, both by cadets and junior officers, who are at the beginning of their careers at sea. The investigation is based on a survey conducted on a significant number of subjects between 2018-2023. The developed research methodology was used to underlie the items in the questionnaires, on the basis of which the survey was carried out. The questionnaires were established by the data triangulation method and by consulting maritime stakeholders. Considering both the common aspects, specific to life at sea, but also the particular elements, which relate to the responsibilities on board the ship, the proposals received from all departments on board the ship were centralized. The questionnaires were developed based on the contributions received from: representatives of companies in the maritime industry, seafaring personnel at managerial and operational level (from the deck, engine and electrical departments), responsible in the field of risk and safety in the maritime industry, cadets and junior officers, at the beginning of their career at sea. The results of the survey were centralized, analyzed and interpreted to establish the level of understanding and perception of maritime risk and safety issues. The resulting conclusions can be used by the interested factors for the development and consolidation of appropriate, adapted and customized projects in the field of maritime safety and risk management on board ships, dedicated to cadets/ junior officers.