Human, Organisational, and Navigational Factors in Selected North Sea Ship Collisions: A Qualitative Comparative Case Study

Abstract

Ship collisions in the North Sea remain a significant maritime safety concern because the region combines merchant traffic, fishing activity, offshore operations, and traffic separation schemes. This study examines five purposively selected North Sea ship collisions occurring between 2010 and 2023 to identify recurring human, organisational, and navigational factors and develop practical lessons for reducing collision risk. A qualitative comparative case-study approach was employed using official Marine Accident Investigation Branch and Dutch Safety Board reports. Documentary analysis and thematic coding covered 22 factors across five cases. The most consistently supported weaknesses concerned lookout and monitoring, situation awareness, risk of collision assessment, and electronic navigational information. Communication, bridge redundancy, and organisational controls also showed deficiencies, although their form and evidential support differed. Evidence concerning fatigue and some organisational explanations was qualified. The cross-case interpretation identified erosion of overlapping safety barriers before impact, while recognising functioning safeguards and limitations in the report evidence. The findings support recommendations for observable watchkeeping standards, effective technology use, bridge-team support, fatigue-aware operations, and organisational verification. These conclusions concern the selected cases and do not establish the frequency or causal strength of the factors across all North Sea collisions.