What are the best ways to build resilience in Marine Engineering?

Resilience is needed in every domain , not just in Marine Engineering and what worked for me was : "It is the mind which gets tired never the body , so work hard." "Lakhs of people die of stress but no one dies of hard work so be the hardest working team member." Last but not the least, "Don't quit , stay there and you will be there , where you want to be." Resilience is a by product of NOT GIVING UP AND HARD WORK

Building resilience in marine engineers through learning from mistakes is a vital process. When errors occur at sea, it's essential to follow a structured approach for improvement. First, fostering a culture that encourages open reporting of mistakes without fear of blame is crucial. This transparency allows for an honest assessment of what went wrong. Second, conducting thorough post-incident reviews and sharing these findings across the maritime community helps prevent others from making the same mistakes. Additionally, implementing robust safety procedures and continuous training based on these lessons improves preparedness for future challenges.

Besides all above points, remember that large marine machineries are very complex. It’s never possible to know everything. And such an approach should always be avoided. Prepare yourself with different mock scenarios to be prepared for what can go wrong. Train and coach your people so they are ready and don’t lose their nerve in emergencies. Utilise your time while not onboard to attend special courses and to develop yourself. Socialise with people who can be of help in case or urgent situations

Marine is the only field after aviation which consider and keeps practicing resilience at every stage of operations. 1. Best Practices - There are many Best practices one of them is LFI learning from Incident which is Shell's initiative to promote resilience in maritime industry at pace. 2. Near miss reporting - Fleet Management Limited and many other companies have introduced near miss reporting programs as part of their SMS/SOP onboard ships to report any non compliance to discuss onboard ship at safety meetings and they reward employees which promotes to do every day job better and promotes a healthy way of recovering to succeed after any fall. Role of Senior managers and Open-empowering work atmosphere is a key to resilience on ships

If you experience an issue for the first time. Do your best to remember the warning signs, the cause and effect, the fix and learn ways to prevent potential break downs in the future. No matter what, these things always break down so do your best to always stay level headed and composed because issues pop up at the most inconvenient times. In conclusion, I saw where someone else said it, but no matter your experience level, do not go into anything think you know it all, be willing to learn and for what you do not know, do not be afraid to ask questions!

Traveling away from your country, friends and family isn’t easy task so embracing change, new environment and to stay self confident during that change is a MUST, especially for a newbie’s. By embracing your decision, embracing new work environment and new colleagues that will be your new family will make your stay onboard much easier. Remember that too much knowledge doesn’t exist so stay humble, learn all the time and stay focused.

Navigating change and embracing it at sea pose unique challenges. Introducing technologies like BNWAS, ECDIs, ECA-SECA, Marpol, and BMW electronic engines was initially met with resistance among mariners. The maritime industry, intricate and safety-centric, makes each tech adoption complex. Experienced staff often rely on their expertise, hesitant about changes presented in a challenging and unguided manner. Tech adoption at sea demands substantial support, a challenge given the remote nature. Leadership and resource management become pivotal in this dynamic. Ultimately, change is a cultural shift fueled by individual motivation.

Building relationships is too important for mariners , As it all starts onboard ships previously there was lot of cohesion between inter departments onboard ships , Deck -Engine rooms stories are the thing of past now . Presently young officers are well trained and believes in team work , supporting each others and keep more professional attitude which has changed the scenario. Few points to build relationships- 1. Participate in Tool box meetings 2. Seek advise and share recommendations if needed in cargo/bunker or ship operations 3. Learn and Listen 4. Discuss in person 5. Spend time together with team and inter dept team 6. Greet and Recognise 7. Be the change you want to see

Managing stress is most essential in recovering back to optimum performance after any incident or bad results . Management of stress in maritime industry is lean due over demanding job and overlook of personal health due to continuously engagement in roles and responsibilities . But there are multiple ways to deal with such things- 1. Ask Help - whenever you need help you must ask for help from senior colleague 2. Share and Accept - Always share your insecurities as your colleagues are your family onboard ships they know how to help you 3. Do not hesitate - never hesitate to accept your weakness and downfall as no one is perfect 4. It Happens- No one is perfect but perfection comes from learning from failure is just a moment in journey

There is always a better tomorrow , as a famous marine quote says - You will reach to your destination when you show your courage to leave your shore as Rome was not built in a day Be a good mariner , follow SMS , Practice good seamanship it will help you to get acknowledgment by your seniors and make you potential candidate for promotions

Job of Mariner is highly demanding and less socially recognised profile as most of the time Mariners from any department Deck or Engineer have to spend their time on sea by staying away from friends, family and social lives . Its too strange despite of evolving technologies still seafarers face a challenge in getting internet on ships , even if it’s available it is hardly 200 mb available through costly satellite systems, Seafaring itself have a different culture which is different than a normal life , people are open , simple , less aware and introvert towards civilised system . Engagements with work at all the time with no work - rest hour balance makes mariners less aware of relationship and person growth , which requires attention .