Research on human factors of ship grounding accident based on HFACS

Ship grounding accidents referred to incidents where a vessel accidentally ran aground or became stranded at the seafloor or near the shoreline, resulting in significant human casualties and economic losses. With the growth of maritime trade and the increasing busyness of ship traffic, the risk of ship grounding accidents escalated. Consequently, preventing and controlling such accidents became a critical topic in ship operation management. The Human Factors Analysis and Classification System (HFACS) model, widely applied in aviation, aerospace, rail, shipping, and other fields, served to identify and evaluate the fundamental causes of accidents. By categorizing accident causes into individual, team, organizational, and external environmental factors, the HFACS model shed light on the various factors’ roles in ship grounding accidents, offering guidance and recommendations for accident analysis and prevention. Building upon this, the present study utilized the HFACS model to analyze the human factors of a ship accident, revealing the causal chain: Lack of organizational atmosphere-Supervision violation-Improper management of ship resources-Decision error. Based on these findings, corresponding safety management suggestions were proposed, aiming to provide reference for accident analysis and prevention.