Welcome to the first edition of Alert!

The start of a campaign to raise the awareness of Human Element issues as they apply to the commercial maritime industry. This campaign is a 3 year project run by The Nautical Institute and sponsored by Lloyd’s Register.

Wherever there is a human interacting with a system there is a Human Element issue. Modern technology has revolutionised the way in which a ship is operated, but lack of attention to the human- system interface, in terms of the design, layout, and integration of systems, and training in their use, is the root cause of many accidents today. The key to improvement is in the close involvement of all stakeholders to ensure that a ship is ‘fit for purpose’, and that the master and his crew are provided with the proper tools and are adequately trained to be able to conduct their business in a safe and efficient manner. I welcome this initiative of The Nautical Institute, supported by Lloyd’s Register, which - through these quarterly editions of Alert! and the associated website - aims to create a common under- standing amongst operational decision makers, both ashore and afloat, of what the Human Element is and how it can be applied in practice.