Discover How HELM Can Help Your Business

Discover How HELM Can Help Your Business

HELM stands for Human Element Leadership and Management. HELM training is aimed at commercial ship’s crew such as engineers, security staff and radio operators as well as more senior roles including chief mates and masters.
What does HELM training cover?

As the name suggests, HELM training focuses on the human elements of leadership which include:
  • Clear and effective communication
  • Situational awareness
  • How to lead by example
  • Effective resource management in terms of equipment and personnel
  • Working as part of an effective team
Without these elements in place, the working environment on board a vessel can suffer due to common human factors such as:

Stress

Ineffective procedures and senior crew members not leading by example can lead to stress amongst operational staff on a daily basis, which in turn affects their performance.

Fatigue

Managing resources ineffectively can cause fatigue amongst crew members. For example, having someone on too many night shifts in a row due to staff absence will adversely affect their performance.

Distraction

Areas such as resource management can have an impact on distraction levels. For example, if a crew member is tasked with too many roles at once, it’s more likely they will have distractions taking them away from their core responsibilities. This could have serious safety implications.

Dangerous lapses in memory

When human factors such as stress and fatigue are at play it can affect people’s memory. Also, if proper written procedures aren’t being used, a crew member could easily forget a safety critical detail, especially when working under pressure. Difficulty creating a strong company culture Crew members speaking different languages and having different cultural and religious backgrounds is another area where HELM training can be beneficial.

Summary

By focusing on the human elements of managing commercial vessels rather than purely plant and equipment, HELM training provides a wider scope of understanding and commitment to safety.