ShipIn Systems identifies a major fleet-wide hazard not as isolated equipment breakdowns but as the normalization of repeated departures from standard onboard procedures. Drawing on continuous vessel data, the firm explains that risk accumulates through patterns like inconsistent watchkeeping, irregular use of protective gear, insufficient deck oversight, engine room protocol gaps, and slow reactions to initial technical warnings. This phenomenon is termed operational drift.
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Osher Perry, CEO of ShipIn Systems, notes that catastrophic events rarely stem from a single large failure. Instead, they are typically preceded by minor, recurring deviations that compound and eventually shape the actual operational culture of a vessel.
The company asserts that this dynamic is often overlooked, especially by onshore management, who may confuse the existence of written procedures with proof of their consistent application aboard ships. Although most operators have robust safety management systems, audits, and reporting protocols, ShipIn points out these are usually intermittent and compliance-oriented. Consequently, they offer limited insight into how faithfully procedures are followed during everyday tasks.
Perry remarks that while documentation may suggest compliant operations, real-world practice always involves variation across crews, shifts, work routines, and varying operational pressures. Without ongoing observation, such variation is easily overlooked. According to ShipIn, operational drift is most apparent in routine vessel activities like bridge watchkeeping, deck work, and engine room tasks. In these settings, standards may erode slowly during seemingly low-risk periods or become strained during more intense operations.
Perry adds that by the time an incident occurs, the contributing conditions have often existed for weeks or months. The risk was not emergent but latent, simply not detected or addressed. Enhancing visibility into operational patterns enables operators to spot drift earlier, correct recurring behaviors, and assist crews before those behaviors become entrenched or lead to accidents. When specific patterns are identified and communicated to vessels, ShipIn reports measurable decreases in recurring risk conditions within one to three months.
Perry states that crews understand expectations; the difficulty lies in maintaining consistency. When behavioral drift is clearly demonstrated, vessels can adjust promptly. ShipIn Systems calls on the maritime sector to move beyond verifying the existence of procedures and instead concentrate on how consistently they are implemented under actual working conditions. Perry concludes that the next advancement in safety is not adding more rules but comprehending how work truly happens at sea, where standards begin to slip, and where support is needed before risk becomes accepted as normal.
