FOM-3.3	Fleet Operations Manual Navigation Bridge Team Management	Doc No.: FOM-3.3 Revision: 01 Date: 15 Oct 2024 Issued by: DPA Approved by: MD

1. APPLICATION

This document applies to Masters, navigating officers, and watchkeepers onboard fully managed vessels.

2. PURPOSE

To specify requirements for, and highlight important aspects of, bridge team management.

3. INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES

Objectives:

• Enable interaction of team members so that they can adapt to and fulfil assigned roles.
• Use all physical & personnel assets & create an environment to maximise their effectiveness.
• Eliminate “one person error.”

Bridge Team Will:

• Use all relevant information and resources when executing and monitoring a planned passage, including navigation-related instructions in the charterer’s voyage orders.
• Communicate effectively with other team members.
• Be familiar with other members of the Bridge team and all Bridge equipment.
• Be aware of:
  • Manoeuvring characteristics of the vessel

    Note: Master and Officers to be aware of the type of propulsion and steering machinery, and their effects on the manoeuvring of the vessel (e.g., azimuth thrusters versus conventional CPP and rudders).

  • Effects of wind and tidal forces.
  • Human factors such as stress and distraction.
  • Assigned tasks and execute appropriate steaming watch conditions.
• Be able to initiate appropriate responses to emergencies.

4. REQUIREMENTS

• Carry the publication “Bridge Procedures Guide” onboard.
• Navigate by bridge team management principles contained therein.
• Pilot, when onboard, to become an integrated part of the bridge team.
• Bridge Access Control: No unauthorised personnel can enter the bridge without explicit permission of the master.
• Distraction Policy: The inability to deal with distractions and prioritise tasks is often an indication that “situational awareness” is breaking down. Distraction is often to blame for many marine accidents. Hence, the company prohibits the use of mobile phones or other personal electronic devices like music systems, tablets, etc., except in operationally necessary circumstances approved by the master.
• Background noise on the bridge should be kept to the minimum possible.
• Casual communication with bridge team members, including but not limited to while communicating with Pilots, should be restricted to avoid any distraction.
• All non-essential activities on the bridge should be restricted during navigation and should not be carried out without explicit permission of the master.
• If the bridge is fitted with cargo and/or machinery monitoring and/or control functions/systems, usage of the same should be restricted during navigational watches for effective bridge space management.
• If internet and email services are available on the bridge, their access by bridge watchkeepers should generally be limited to circumstances necessary for the safe navigation of the ship and should be restricted to:
  • Updates for nautical charts and publications, licenses, and permits.
  • Weather information.
  • Navigational warnings.
  • Information relevant to the ship's operations and passage plan.
• Additionally, for offshore/DP vessels:
  • The vessel shall not use autopilot while manoeuvring in ports, narrow channels, and when arriving and departing from ports/berths or areas with heavy traffic.
  • The Master/Bridge team must pay utmost attention to prevailing weather conditions and their effect on the vessel, especially in the event of an unexpected loss of propulsion or vessel position-keeping capability. This should be included in passage plan briefings and risk assessments.
  • DP checklist shall be completed when the vessel is using the DP joystick.

5. RESPONSIBILITIES

5.1 Master

The Master shall:

• Arrange a bridge team meeting prior to the commencement of the passage.
• Assign relevant tasks and duties to each member.
• Delegate authority to the Chief Officer (CO) or Officer on Watch (OOW) when he needs rest or needs to attend to other responsibilities. This must be planned. Additionally, ensure:
  • CO or OOW knows where and how he can be contacted.

Caution: If the Master cannot be reached, CO or OOW shall sound the general alarm or use the public address system for contacting the Master.

Note:

Master taking over con and handing over to OOW must be recorded in the deck log book.

• Make all members aware of:
  • Importance of clear communication.
  • Use of standard helm orders.
  • Effects of stress and distraction.
  • Effects of attitudes about rank, position, age, culture.
  • External and internal barriers to proper communication.
• Ensure that:
  • The Bridge Team effectively implements bridge procedures.
  • The Pilot becomes an integrated part of the bridge team.
  • All team members participate in bridge operations.

Caution: Don’t dismiss information from any team member as irrelevant or obvious.

• Ensure all team members are well aware of their duties and responsibilities.
• No member hesitates to question the decision/command of anyone else.
• Team members carry out assigned tasks diligently.
• Implement a system whereby team members:
  • Countercheck decisions made by the Master, Pilot, or other team members.
  • Sign and file checklists as required in point 10 below.

5.2 Team Members

Team members shall:

• Be aware of all vessel operations.
• Assist the Pilot with information about the ship and its characteristics.
• Be conscious of stress and distractions in bridge operations.
• Freely exchange observations and information.
• Pass information or orders in a loud and clear voice so that all other team members stay informed.

6. COMMUNICATION

Team members shall:

• Use clear, accurate, and concise language.
• Use standard protocol.
• Apply listening skills.
• Avoid disagreement.
• Be aware of external and internal barriers to effective communication.

7. STANDARD PROTOCOL FOR VHF RADIO USE

• Use IMO recommended phraseology for maritime communications.
• Comply with FCC regulations, i.e., use of call signs. See FOM 3.1 Extract from FCC regulations.

8. STANDARD ORDERS TO THE HELM

Master and Navigating Officers shall:

• Use the standard orders to the helm.

Note: Standard Orders to Helm are not applicable to vessels under Offshore Management.

• Ensure that all Helmsmen understand the standard orders to the helm. See FOM 3.2 Standard Orders to the Helm.
• Carry out training if required.
• When giving an order to steer a course, state in the following format:

Order	Course to Steer
Port, steer one eight two	182 degrees
Starboard, steer zero eight two	082 degrees
Port, steer three zero five	305 degrees

Helmsman shall:

• On receipt of an order to steer a course:
  • Repeat the order and bring the ship around steadily to the course ordered.
  • Call out the heading every ten degrees in the process.
• When the ship is steady on the course ordered, call out: "Steady on XXX" (course in three digits).

9. BRIDGE TEAM/PILOT EXCHANGE

Master shall clarify both to team members and the Pilot:

• Limitations of the Pilot’s authority.
• Chain of command when the Pilot is on board.

Bridge team shall:

• Carry out the bridge team/Pilot exchange in a timely manner and at an appropriate pace.
• In addition to the Master/Pilot exchange card, provide a copy of the passage plan to the bridge team/Pilot.
• Include the following during the exchange:

• Parallel indexing techniques
• Alteration points
• “No Go” areas
• Means and frequency of position fixing
• T&P notices and Navarea warnings / NAVTEX messages on relevant charts
• Using all navigation equipment applicable in the prevailing circumstances and conditions
• Under Keel Clearance (UKC) requirements
• Contingencies

Master / OOW / Pilot relationship:

• (a) The Master is the ultimate authority on the vessel and is responsible for its safe navigation. Pilots / Mooring Masters are important advisers to navigation, but the Master remains responsible for their actions, whether they are acting alone or with the Master.
• (b) The Master shall ensure that OOW are capable of acting on the Master's behalf with a Pilot / Mooring Master should the Master need to leave the Bridge.
• (c) Sometimes the Pilots insist on completing some formalities immediately upon boarding. It must be noted here that only bare minimum paper work required for vessel’s entry to the port is to be done at Pilot boarding. All other regular paper work must be done only after berthing. Further, in any case, master shall never indulge himself in any paper work (except information exchange and other related documents) and an additional officer to be kept standby on the bridge for coordinating with the pilot for all required paper work, if insisted by pilot during the manoeuvre:
• (d) Diplomacy and tact must govern commands made to the Pilot or Mooring Master to obtain the safest ship-handling performance.

Judging Pilot’s / Mooring master’s ability:

• (a) Masters and OOW must remain alert to the Pilot's or Mooring Master's handling of the vessel and be prepared to intervene when necessary to safeguard personnel, environment, vessel, or cargo. Masters and OOW must observe the helm and engine orders given by them and promptly determine whether the Pilot's / Mooring Master's orders will produce the desired results, based upon their understanding of the vessel's handling characteristics.
• (b) Should the Pilot / Mooring Master fail to act on the Master's or OOW’s direction and the safety of the vessel to be in jeopardy, the Master or OOW must countermand the Pilot's / Mooring Master's instructions and take such action as may be appropriate to ensure the safety of the vessel. Full details of any such actions must be entered in the Deck Logbook and the company must be advised promptly.
• (c) The Master must take affirmative action to obtain a suitable replacement Pilot / Mooring Master if any doubt exists regarding the competence of the existing Pilot / Mooring Master. If it is not practicable to obtain a replacement, the Master shall not proceed with the passage prior to authorisation from the Company. The company must be advised promptly. The discussion between the Master and the company should include implementing extraordinary precautions, discussing conditions en route, and taking measures to monitor all actions of the Pilot / Mooring Master:

Taking over Con :

• (a) Master and Bridge Team members MUST not over-rely on the Pilot at any time and Master MUST not hesitate to take over the Con from the Pilot as soon as it becomes apparent to him that Pilots actions are not substantial and / or adequate and may result in a close quarter situation or an incident.
• (b) Not only the Master but the Duty officer to be also always alert and carefully review all actions of pilots considering Pilot only "As an adviser" and he must notify Master in case of any slightest doubt also for the Pilot's action.
• (c) Duty officer must be especially alert and monitor pilot’s actions at the initial stage of Pilot's taking over con when Master is required to get occupied with Pilot, C/O, Engine room etc for the information exchange and other arrangements for berthing / unberthing:
• (d) Even helmsman and lookout to be also always alert and bring to the notice of Master and / or Duty officer in case they feel any doubt on orders of the pilot. In general, each and every member of the bridge team is to monitor and support the Master so that collectively as a team the passage is safely executed and no one person's error can go undetected:

Con with Pilot :

• (a) Pilot onboard provides expert advice on navigation in local conditions. he provides Helms, main engine, Thruster, tugs and mooring orders. For execution of his duties, the vessel1s navigation con can formally be handed over to the Pilot.
• (b) Even though the CON is handed over to the Pilot, the Master ( or the Chief Officer in the absence of the Master) must remain fully engaged, continouslymonitoring the Pilot actions to ensure safety.

10. REFERENCED FORMS AND CHECKLIST

• Poster 004 – Bridge Instructions

11. APPENDICES

• FOM 3.1 Extract from FCC regulations
• FOM 3.2 Standard orders to the helm
• NAV-06 – Bridge familiarisation