Pratik Bijlani –
On 10th July, the Company of Master Mariners of India (CMMI) hosted its highly anticipated monthly lecture at Synergy Maritime Services Office in Powai, drawing participation from both in-person attendees and a large online audience. The lecture, titled “Human Factors Demystified: From Safety-I to Safety-II”, was delivered by Capt. Abhijit Balakrishnan, Safety Manager and DPA at Scorpio, and offered a fresh perspective on safety in maritime operations.
The event saw the presence of several stalwarts of the industry, including Capt. M.P. Bhasin, Master Chairman of CMMI; Capt. Vivek Bhandarkar, Secretary General of CMMI; Capt. Sasikumar Swaminathan, CEO of CMMI and other noted personalities such as Capt. Amandeep Bhalla, Marine Head at d’Amico Shipping Group; Capt. Pramod Kumar, Director of Eminence Marine and Capt. Philip Matthews, Director of SIMTF.
In his opening remarks, Capt. Bhandarkar welcomed participants and introduced the keynote speaker, highlighting Capt. Balakrishnan’s expertise in human factors, mental health, and modern safety approaches. Capt. Bhasin praised Capt. Balakrishnan for his entrepreneurial mindset and encouraged attendees to engage actively during the session.
Capt. Balakrishnan began his lecture by expressing gratitude to CMMI for the platform and acknowledged the contributions of mentors and colleagues who shaped his thinking. He quickly set the tone by clarifying that while human factors is about humans, paradoxically, “nothing about humans” – emphasizing system design over individual behaviour. Using relatable examples, such as doors with poor intuitive design and cargo control panels with confusing layouts, he illustrated how flawed systems can lead to what is often misattributed as “human error.”
Drawing on Don Norman’s The Design of Everyday Things and aviation history, Capt. Balakrishnan emphasized that effective design should require no instructions. He recounted a personal anecdote where he accidentally discharged cargo from the wrong tank due to a poorly laid-out control panel and pointed out how such incidents reflect system failures rather than individual negligence. He stressed, “It’s about making it easy for people to do the right thing, and making it difficult for people to do the wrong thing.”
Transitioning into the core of his lecture, he explained the evolution from Safety-I to Safety-II, referencing the work of James Reason, Erik Hollnagel, and Sidney Dekker. Safety-I, he explained, views humans as risks to be controlled and focuses on preventing failures. In contrast, Safety-II emphasizes understanding why operations usually succeed and sees humans as assets who adapt and compensate for system flaws. “Our industry focuses so much on what goes wrong, but we rarely look at what goes right. Almost everything on a ship works correctly, but we take it for granted,” he observed.
Capt. Balakrishnan underscored the importance of fostering trust, open communication, and resilience in maritime operations. He introduced Todd Conklin’s “Five Principles of Human and Organizational Performance” and highlighted the role of leadership in shaping safety culture. He reminded attendees, “People make mistakes. But mistakes are not intentional – they are shaped by the circumstances and conditions that person was in.”
The engaging lecture concluded with a lively Q&A session, where participants discussed practical applications of these modern safety concepts. Capt. Kaustubh Pradhan delivered a vote of thanks, appreciating Capt. Balakrishnan’s thought-provoking presentation. The event concluded with hi-tea and networking among attendees.
Marex Media