Brisbane Marine Pilots’ standard passage plan and master-pilot exchange did not ensure that a ship’s bridge team is provided adequate information with respect to local traffic and areas where attention must be paid to other vessels, including small craft.
Proactive safety action taken.
Brisbane Marine Pilots (BMP) advised the ATSB that its standard passage plan has been amended to clarify that the officer of the watch (OOW) is responsible for ensuring that a good lookout by sight and radar is maintained. In addition, BMP will place greater emphasis on bridge team engagement and communicating small craft interaction risks on a case by case basis through the master-pilot-bridge team exchange processes. The company’s training and development team will maintain focus on this aspect through its check pilot system.
The company has decided to review and amend its pre-arrival information for masters to emphasise the small vessel interaction risk. In progressing this review, BMP has contacted representatives from the commercial fishing industry to identify seasonal increases in activity. Publicly available information for recreational boat owners will also be considered for inclusion in the pre-arrival information. The review was scheduled for completion by 31 July 2015.
