Brewersk Doha

Maersk Doha

1 - Shannon and Weaver’s Communications model seems to be a perfect fit for the Maersk Doha’s problems on board as there were several instances when language caused miscommunications between crew members and messages where delivered incorrectly. This highlights that not all messages received are identical to the message that was sent or to put it in simpler terms it can almost be described as a game of Chinese whispers.
First off we are told that when the emergency occurred and the chief engineer was not informed quickly enough. This could be down to the incompetence of the engineers or more likely that there was a lack of communication commodities available to them.
We were also told that the chief engineer was in a difficult position when it came to communication as he spoke a different
If a structured communications procedure had been in place, the damage could and probably would have been limited to a minimum. Problems arose as the engine crew didn’t report to the chief engineer and the chief didn’t report to the captain. Obviously if the senior staff are not made aware of the problems then they can’t be solved in a proper manor. It’s of utmost importance that the correct procedure where carried out when dealing with safety issues. On this occasion a threat occurred due to an inexperienced crew, reluctant to communicate with their superiors. All departments should have been working towards a joint goal instead there seemed to be departmental friction and the link of horizontal communication was inadequate. Having an inexperienced first and second engineer helped lead to not only mechanical problems occurring but also further problems in communication. The shipping company had decided all crew had a satisfactory level of English but this was not the case and the language barrier acted as a catalyst to the reason the fire was not dealt with