Using the FRAM to Understand Arctic Ship Navigation: Assessing Work Processes During the Exxon Valdez Grounding

• Main Authors: Doug Smith, Brian Veitch, Faisal Khan, Rocky Taylor
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Gdynia Maritime University 2018-09-01
• Series: TransNav: International Journal on Marine Navigation and Safety of Sea Transportation
• Subjects: Arctic Shipping; Vessel Grounding; Grounding; Exxon Valdez; Arctic Navigation; Accident Investigation; Functional Resonance Analysis Method (FRAM); Ship Navigation
• Online Access: http://www.transnav.eu/files/Using the FRAM to Understand Arctic Ship Navigation: Assessing Work Processes During the Exxon Valdez Grounding,828.pdf

Arctic shipping involves a complex combination of inter-related factors that need to be managed correctly for operations to succeed. In this paper, the Functional Resonance Analysis Method (FRAM) is used to assess the combination of human, technical, and organizational factors that constitute a shipping operation. A methodology is presented on how to apply the FRAM to a domain, with a focus on ship navigation. The method draws on ship navigators to inform the building of the model and to learn about practical variations that must be managed to effectively navigate a ship. The Exxon Valdez case is used to illustrate the model’s utility and provide some context to the information gathered by this investigation. The functional signature of the work processes of the Exxon Valdez on the night of the grounding is presented. This shows the functional dynamics of that particular ship navigation case, and serves to illustrate how the FRAM approach can provide another perspective on the safety of complex operations.