A Research Agenda in Maritime Crew Resource Management.

This paper opens with a brief introduction to the development of Crew Resource Management (CRM) training in the international shipping industry, a concept that was first advanced through the use of simulators in maritime training colleges over 25 years ago. The paper charts the development of the shipping industry?s approach to the preparation of bridge and engine room teams for normal and abnormal operations, and critiques the current training regime in resource management. Two case studies are presented to highlight some of the CRM issues raised by recent maritime casualties, and the paper then proceeds to set out a research agenda for exploring some of these issues. The paper provides an overview of three research initiatives: the first is to gain a better theoretical understanding of the nature of shared situational awareness and mental models in "real world" maritime operations. A second initiative is to identify a set of behavioural markers for assessing the non-technical skills of crisis management. The third initiative is to explore the role of organisational factors in safe operation, in recognition of the limitations of operator training as a panacea to prevent the re-occurrence of accidents.