Our colleague Vittorio Sangermano (ISSNOVA) has been nominated for the Best Paper Award at the Applied Human Factors and Ergonomics Conference (AHFE 2024) in Nice, France!
This exciting recognition highlights his outstanding contributions to the OVERHEAT project, which focuses on enhancing maritime safety. Vittorio’s paper, co-authored with Raffaella Russo, Daniele Palma Esposito, and Mario Ciaburri, is titled “Human Factors Implications in Innovative Strategies for Containership Fires Prevention and Management.” The research delves into the critical challenges faced by the maritime industry, particularly concerning fire hazards on containerships.
Maritime transport plays a crucial role in global trade, accounting for approximately 90% of goods transported worldwide. However, the design of modern containerships often mirrors that of older vessels, neglecting advancements that could enhance safety. Fires aboard these ships pose severe risks, leading to loss of life, cargo, and detrimental environmental impacts. The OVERHEAT project, funded by the European Union, aims to innovate strategies for preventing, detecting, managing, and responding to onboard fire incidents. A key focus is on enhancing seafarer Safety Culture (SC) to better understand how crew members perceive safety and the effectiveness of safety management practices.
The project employs a comprehensive four-stage model of cognition to assess safety culture: Theoretical Framework Development, Identifying Safety System Components, Exploratory Systems Constellations, and Replication in other Use Cases (UCs). Additionally, a Digital Solution (DS) will be developed to enhance situational awareness among personnel during fire emergencies, mitigating potential cascading effects. This initiative includes a novel training program for seafarers, designed to improve their preparedness for fire management. The effectiveness of the proposed solutions will be validated through simulations at specialized facilities in Italy and France, specifically at the Italian Maritime Academy Technologies (IMAT) and the École Nationale Supérieure Maritime (ENSM). Following these simulations, real-world demonstrations will be conducted in collaboration with maritime professionals to prove the feasibility and reliability of the proposed OVERHEAT solutions. This research not only aims to enhance safety protocols but also strives to foster a SC among seafarers, ultimately contributing to the sustainability and resilience of maritime operations.
