Video: Why Is The Command Centre Of A Ship Called “Bridge”?

Why-Is-The-Command-Centre-Of-A-Ship-Called-Bridge

Did you ever stop and wonder why a ship’s bridge is named so? i.e. a Bridge.

The reason, however, maybe unravelled through the pages of navigation history, taking us to the very origins of human sailing and shipbuilding.

After centuries of modifications on deck designs, the bridge has now emerged as the command centre of the ship.

On a normal voyage, manning of the bridge is usually done by an officer of the watch, with a lookout. The captain remains on the bridge during the important manoeuvres,...

https://www.marineinsight.com/videos/why-is-the-command-centre-of-a-ship-called-bridge/

Bridge of a Ship – Design And Layout

Ships are massive vessels spanning hundreds of meters in length and weighing thousands of tons. Being able to control and manoeuvre such a large vessel is of paramount importance.

How is it possible for a small crew to operate a ship of such gigantic proportions?

This is where the ship’s bridge comes in.

The bridge is the main control centre of a vessel, from where the captain and officers are able to man the entire operations of the vessel. It is generally located in a position with an...

https://www.marineinsight.com/naval-architecture/bridge-of-a-ship-design-and-layout/

Ship grounding stresses importance of bridge resource management

New Zealand’s Transport Accident Investigation Commission (TAIC) issued an investigation report on the grounding of the Danish-registered container ship Leda Maersk off the Port of Otago in June 2018. The investigation revealed that neither the harbour pilot nor the ship’s bridge team recognised that the Leda Maersk was deviating from the planned track.

The incident

On 10 June 2018, the Danish-registered container ship Leda Maersk arrived off the Port of Otago, embarked a harbour pilot, and...

https://safety4sea.com/ship-grounding-stresses-importance-of-bridge-resource-management/

50% of seafarers frustrated with bridge alarms, survey finds

A recent shift to automation and new technologies makes imminent the need of additional skills for seafarers to adequately respond to new requirements. In 2017-2018, the Shipowners Club ran a survey in conjunction with the Department of Psychology at Royal Holloway, University of London, to investigate whether bridge alarms affected the attention and focus of bridge watchkeepers.

It is evident from the feedback of these seafarers that the current regulations and arrangements relating to bridge...

https://safety4sea.com/50-of-seafarers-frustrated-with-bridge-alarms-survey-finds/

Pasha Bulker beaching: A mix of poor SMS, fatigue and bad weather

It is almost 12 years since the Panamanian-flagged bulk carrier ‘Pasha Bulker’ came out at the Nobbys Beach of New South Wales offering an unusual spectacle for local people. The incident is an interesting case study resulting from a multi-faced situation of inadequate communication, inefficient SMS, poor judgement due to fatigue and the objective cause of extreme weather conditions.

Accident details: At a glance

  • Type of accident: Grounding
  • Vessel(s) involved: Pasha Bulker (bulk carrier)
  • Date: 8...

https://safety4sea.com/cm-pasha-bulker-beaching-a-mix-of-poor-sms-fatigue-and-bad-weather/

BRM: Avoiding the Single Point of Failure

The fundamental principal in Bridge Resource Management (BRM) is that vessel navigation and operation is not one-man show. BRM makes use of all available resources onboard (equipment, information, human resource) to ensure the safe completion of vessel’s voyage. Likewise in all operating systems, the navigation and handling of vessel should be protected by a single point of failure.

A point subject to single point of failure is the part of equipment (or operating system) which if it fails will...

https://safety4sea.com/cm-brm-avoiding-the-single-point-of-failure/

From small steps to giant leaps: digitalisation on the bridge

Digitalisation is throwing up daily challenges to the shipping industry’s established order with faster connectivity and enhanced functionality driving the transparency of information flow across almost every area of the business, argues Mr. Jan Thordan Hansen, director, Global Business Development, Sperry Marine.

Shipping is embracing this effect – and cautiously welcoming the disrupters too – and speed of adoption is quickening. What is still developing is how to apply this digital thinking to...

https://safety4sea.com/from-small-steps-to-giant-leaps-digitalisation-on-the-bridge/

Team-Based Cruise Ship Operations

Captain Hans Hederström, Managing Director at Center for Simulator Maritime Training, CSMART, and John Ritchie, Learning Management System manager, CSMART talk about the bridge organisation. They say that traditionally ships’ bridges are strong hierarchical organisations, however, this factor has contributed to a number of accidents. For this reason, Captain Hederström and Mr. Ritchie present a different type of bridge organisation.

Introduction

Traditionally ship’s bridges have been...

https://safety4sea.com/team-based-cruise-ship-operations/

Solo bridge manning contributes to grounding

Transport Malta’s Marine Safety Investigation Unit (MSIU) issued an investigation report into the grounding of the Maltese registered bulk carrier ‘Marbella’ on North Reef, Paracel Islands, on 28 September 2017. The investigation showed that the bridge was solely manned by one person at the time of the incident, which meant ‘a missing safety barrier for one-person error’.

The incident

At 2350 on 26 September 2017, Marbella departed Hong Kong for Tarahan Coal Terminal in Indonesia. The following...

https://safety4sea.com/solo-bridge-manning-contributes-to-grounding/

NYK introduces new ship-bridge concept to reduce casualties

Japanese shipping company NYK has completed a new concept for a ship’s bridge and employed it on a large container ship. The new bridge concept, is named ‘Integrated information and bridge system’, and the space and nautical instruments on this new bridge have been designed to take advantage of IoT aspects of instruments and to improve the safety and efficiency of vessel operation.

The move comes as a result from the company’s cooperation with navigation equipment makers and shipbuilders since...

https://safety4sea.com/nyk-introduces-new-ship-bridge-concept-to-reduce-casualties/

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