An Analysis of Contemporary Issues in Maritime Safety from the Quality Management Approach

Abstract

This study identifies safety as an element of service quality in maritime transport and discusses contemporary issues associated with maritime safety in light of the quality management approach. This paper argues that safety is an element of service quality and it has also been revealed that there are five contemporary issues that have impacts on the management of safety in the maritime transport industry, namely, human factor, effective communication, safety culture, commerciality versus safety and chain of safety links. Safety culture, as part of the quality and organisational culture, is the most important factor and deemed to be the root of other issues. Factors affecting the contemporary issues of maritime safety are also discussed. It is argued that these issues, viewed from the quality management approach, are of critical importance to the management of safety and thus a clear comprehension in this respect will contribute to the cause of maritime safety improvement. Keyword: service quality, maritime safety, maritime industry, quality management, safety culture * School of Business IT & Logistics, RMIT University 445 Swanston St., Melbourne, VIC 3000, Australia Email: vinh.thai@rmit.edu.au 32 KMI International Journal of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries