Project Findings | maritimelearningteams

Executive Summary

This case study provides insights into a court-ordered project order implemented in the New Zealand maritime industry. The case study explores the use of HOP (Human and Organisational Performance) principles and Learning Teams and their influence on improving work practices, safety, organisational learning, and operational excellence. It emphasises the importance of worker involvement, critical thinking, and reflection in problem-solving and risk management. The case study focuses on implementing a project order in the maritime industry, specifically using Learning Teams. In summary, this case study;

(1) Highlights the importance of worker involvement and expertise in improving work practices and safety,

(2) Discusses key learnings from the project, including the value of learning from everyday work, the brittleness of safe systems of work, and the importance of leadership skills like curiosity, empathy, vulnerability, and reflection.

(3) Emphasises the importance of learning at multiple levels (worker, workgroup, organisation) and the essential skills of curiosity, empathy, and reflection and reflects on the challenges faced during project delivery, including the impact of COVID-19 and the need for new ways of working.

(4) Addresses challenges faced during the project, such as the need for structured processes, technological issues, and varying mindsets within teams, and discusses the importance of organisational memory, engagement, the development of sustainable tools and integration into existing systems.

(5) Provides reflection and learning opportunities for readers by telling the stories of the participants throughout the case study.

This case study provides a comprehensive overview of the Maritime Learning Teams Project Order, its objectives, challenges, and key learnings. It offers valuable insights into improving safety, knowledge sharing, and organisational learning in the maritime industry. It highlights the importance of worker involvement, critical thinking, and reflection in improving work practices and safety.

As the authors, we thank all the workers, crew members, supervisors, skippers, safety practitioners, managers, senior leaders, and board members who participated in this project and for sharing your stories, learnings, and experiences. You embraced our Whakataukī for this project, “Wahiwhia te kete mātauranga”, which means “Learning and improving together by filling your basket of knowledge.” Thank you for your mahi.

Case Study Welcome

In November 2017, I received a phone call from one of our Senior Masters. It’s the kind of call you never want to get and one that I will never forget. When I heard that one of our boats, the Kea, had struck the Devonport Wharf and some passengers had suffered injuries, I was shocked and devastated.

As the investigation proceeded, we discovered more about what had happened and what had led to the incident. The Maritime New Zealand and legal process was conducted, resulting in Fullers360 paying a fine and reparations to passengers.

While our initial assessment showed that we had met our compliance obligations, this accident was still able to occur. Safety is a powerful influence for change, and we did not wish to simply pay a fine and move on. This is why we sought a Project Order – to provide a meaningful contribution to the maritime sector that utilised Fullers360’s collective knowledge and skillset to build a safer industry.

During the MNZ and legal proceedings, Fullers360 was sentenced based on having “insufficient training provided to a trainee master” and “requiring more prominent safety warnings and advice to passengers”. As we considered ways to address these call outs, our perspective shifted. We came to understand that improving signage, enhancing communication, and providing specific training would address these concerns, but doing so wouldn’t necessarily lead to better safety outcomes. We needed to look at the root causes: the use of stairs on vessels; the repetition and fatigue associated with berthing vessels in wind, tide, wake, and reduced visibility; and, most importantly, the effectiveness of our training.

As we continued our assessment, our view evolved further. We felt that despite our attention to compliance and our intent and desire to always keep passengers safe, it wasn’t enough. It became clear to our team that we needed to completely rethink safety. Therefore, seeking a Project Order was the right decision, and the ways in which that decision has influenced our business and driven fundamental cultural change are significant.

Above all else, we have worked to change the culture of our business. To move beyond the desire to meet our timetables and ensuring that, first and foremost, the priority right across our business is to get passengers and crew safely where they need to be.

We transformed the operating model of our business through a safety lens. We evolved the ways in which we engage with the regulator, local government, central government, and our customers and the public, so that we continually seek ways to enhance our approach to health and safety. As part of the Project Order, the training of people across the sector to become Learning Team facilitators further strengthened our safety culture, which now underpins everything we do, including our commitment to customer service.

Looking outside of our business, while the tide is starting to shift, too often decisions to make changes that prioritise maritime health and safety are guided by budget or complacency. There’s no doubt that we operate in a unique, complex, and challenging environment, but my hope is that the lessons we learned will benefit other operators and maritime professionals and ultimately their passengers through improved safety outcomes for all.

The desire to seek a Project Order and to change our business took courage, commitment, and hard work. We acknowledge that completion of the Project Order does not mean that the job is done, and that our journey will continue to evolve and progress.

The transformational change on the ground is now about listening, not telling. The lines of communication that have opened, with 4D’s in particular, and with our people and passengers, has opened our eyes to what is work imagined versus work done. We now see ourselves tackling risks and hazards before they become incidents that present harm – safety has become a powerful capacity for change.

Executive Summary

Case Study Welcome

Read The Project Order Case Study