Page 23: of Marine News Magazine (August 2013)

the entire job site to gain in ef? ciency as well. This increase in ef? ciency results in increased productivity by having to work less to accomplish the same goal. Placing wireless cameras on the boom of the crane, in front of a blind push or near the load to be relocated, can signi? cantly increase the ability of the captain and the crane operator to effectively understand what is happen- ing in and around the job site. By providing a video feed, to the crane operator, for hard to see areas he is effectively placing his eyes? exactly on the load or equipment that he is responsible for. If the crew is able to work faster, without compromising safety, the bene? t can be seen directly in reducing direct and indirect operational costs. Reduce and Better Understand Accidents It goes, without saying, that the most important job func- tion of any marine pilot or foreman is the safety of his crew. Providing the crane operator with the proper situational awareness platform can be instrumental to the safety of the crew that operates around him. A wireless camera system can allow the captain and crane operator to decide when and where they need the additional line of sight. In addi- tion, this video can be sent wirelessly over the internet for management to monitor the job site and even recorded to a DVR (digital video recorder). This recorded video could be used for analysis of the ef? ciency of the job site or to con- duct post-accident analysis in the unfortunate event of an accident.The ability to relocate the captain or crane opera- tors eyes? to anywhere on the job site improves the con? -dence of the crew resulting in better decisions being made by the team as a whole. A con? dent team lead is critical in preventing accidents and instilling similar con? dence in the crew that work below him. Therefore, the bene? ts of a situational awareness platform can be immediately tangible and substantial for the entire crews safety and well-being. Additional Considerations There are some unintended bene? ts of the use of camer- as at a job site to improve situational awareness. If used to increase the situational awareness of the crane operator, the crew may interpret this as management watching them. An unintended bene? t of this perception by the crew is an increase in productivity whether or not management is actually viewing the camera feed. This productivity increase can be associated with what is called the Hawthorne Effect. The basic premise of the Hawthorne effect is researchers concluded that the work- ers worked harder because they thought that they were be- ing monitored individually.? As a counter to the positive psychological bene? ts of cameras at a job site, there can be a negative consequence as well. Some crew may interpret cameras as an invasion of their privacy, regardless if they are entitled to privacy or not on the job site. If not well educated on the positive aspects on the situational awareness platform for the entire crew, the crew will be left to their own thoughts. This can create anxiety for the crew and, even worse, the possibility of un- intentional or intentional sabotage to the camera or other equipment. As with any new tool, proper education should be provided to ensure that everyone understands how the situational awareness platform is there to bene? t everyone. Finally, the use of any wired or wireless equipment at a job site needs to be properly implemented and main- tained. Proper training, setup and rugged components need to be considered before attempting to install or use any situational awareness platform at a job site. In conclusion, a properly installed and con? gured situation- al awareness platform at any marine, port or construction site can signi? cantly reduce time, expenses and accidents. This is accomplished with a properly con? gured camera system and a fully trained and educated crew to support operations. SAFETYwww.marinelink.com MN 23MN August2013 Layout 18-31.indd 237/23/2013 7:16:31 PM