An integrated fuzzy risk assessment for seaport operations http://researchonline.ljmu.ac.uk/id/eprint/1787/ Article LJMU has developed LJMU Research Online for users to access the research output of the University more effectively.Abstract Seaport operations are characterised by high levels of uncertainty, as a result their risk evaluation is a very challenging task. Much of the available data associated with the system's operations is uncertain and ambiguous, requiring a flexible yet robust approach of handling both quantitative and qualitative data as well as a means of updating existing information as new data becomes available. Conventional risk modelling approaches are considered to be inadequate due to the lack of flexibility and inappropriate structure for addressing the system's risks. This paper proposes a novel fuzzy risk assessment approach to facilitating the treatment of uncertainties in seaport operations and to optimize its performance effectiveness in a systematic manner. The methodology consists of a fuzzy analytical hierarchy process, an evidential reasoning (ER) approach, fuzzy set theory and expected utility. The fuzzy analytical hierarchy process is used to analyse the complex structure of seaport operations and determine the weights of risk factors while ER is used to synthesise them. The methodology provides a robust mathematical framework for collaborative modelling of the system and allows for a step by step analysis of the system in a systematic manner. It is envisaged that the proposed approach could provide managers and infrastructure analysts a flexible tool to enhance the resilience of the system in a systematic manner. Keywords: Seaport operations; evidential reasoning approach; fuzzy set theory; fuzzy analytical hierarchy process 2. Literature Review CMI systems are faced with high operational constraints due to the dynamic interactions among their interrelated components. The level of interdependences and complexity of the system's operations can be acknowledged through its description by the US Department of Homeland Security "as all areas and things of, on, under, relating to, adjacent to, or bordering on a sea, ocean, or other navigable waterway, including all maritime related activities, infrastructure, people, cargo, vessels and other conveyances" [8]. Analysing the systems in terms of their interdependences which include infrastructure characteristics, operational relationships, environmental impacts, technical efficiency, failure types and state of operation provides insight into their complexity, enabling collaborative modelling to be undertaken. Modern seaports, which are an integral component of CMI systems, focus their operations on continuous handling of flows and efficient transport. Meersman [9], as shown in Figure 1, revealed that these systems progressed from performing cargo handling, stacking and distribution functions to being a complex transportation hub in logistic chains. A vessel operator controls a fleet of vessels with a set of characteristics; the land si...

In 2006, a review of maritime accidents found that non-technical skills (NTSs) are the single largest contributing factor towards such incidents. NTSs are composed of both interpersonal and cognitive elements. These include things such as situational awareness, teamwork, decision making, leadership, management and communication skills. In a crisis situation, good NTSs allow a deck officer to quickly recognise that a problem exists and then harness the resources that are at their disposal to safely and efficiently bring the situation back under control. This paper has two aims. The first is to develop a methodology which will enable educators to quantitatively assess the impact of Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA)-approved Human Element, Leadership and Management (HELM) training on deck officer's NTSs with a view to identifying further training requirements. The second is to determine whether the HELM training provided to develop the NTSs of trainee deck officers is fit for purpose. To achieve these aims, a three-phase approach was adopted. Initially, a taxonomy for deck officer's NTSs is established, behavioural markers are identified

Introduction Watchkeeping is a significant activity during maritime operations, and failures of sustained attention and decision‐making can increase the likelihood of a collision. Methods A study was conducted in a ship bridge simulator where 40 participants (20 experienced/20 inexperienced) performed: (1) a 20‐min period of sustained attention to locate a target vessel and (2) a 10‐min period of decision‐making/action selection to perform an evasive maneuver. Half of the participants also performed an additional task of verbally reporting the position of their vessel. Activation of the prefrontal cortex (PFC) was captured via a 15‐channel functional near‐infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) montage, and measures of functional connectivity were calculated frontal using graph‐theoretic measures. Results Neurovascular activation of right lateral area of the PFC decreased during sustained attention and increased during decision‐making. The graph‐theoretic analysis revealed that density declined during decision‐making in comparison with the previous period of sustained attention, while local clustering declined during sustained attention and increased when participants prepared their evasive maneuver. A regression analysis revealed an association between network measures and behavioral outcomes, with respect to spotting the target vessel and making an evasive maneuver. Conclusions The right lateral area of the PFC is sensitive to watchkeeping and decision‐making during operational performance. Graph‐theoretic measures allow us to quantify patterns of functional connectivity and were predictive of safety‐critical performance.

In the North West of England the issue of a perceived infrastructure gap is of increasing concern. Investment needs to be made to improve the transport infrastructure of the region if it is to be expected to promote the development of its own regional logistics gateway. Funding tools have been set up to address the challenges arising from the imbalance in infrastructure development that exists between regions in the north of the United Kingdom and those in the south. For regions with well developed economies the outlook is promising as the availability of modern transport infrastructure looks set to improve. However, some sources believe that the development of new transport infrastructure will have a negative impact upon sustainable development. It is expected that this will occur in a range of both direct and indirect ways. As a result, it is critical that planning for the creation of new intermodal transport infrastructure, or the upgrading of that which already exists, takes into account the impact that these developments will have on the sustainable development of the host region. A scenario based development methodology is proposed in this paper. It was developed to provide a way to identify potential scenarios that may arise within a given region as a result of transport infrastructure projects. To create significant scenarios the methodology is dependent on the availability of a sufficient quantity of quality data. For this paper that data was collected through a focus group composed of stakeholders from the region in question. This was further supported by the performance of an impact survey using the same group of stakeholders

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