ESTABLISHING MARINE ACCCIDENT CLASSIFICATION: A CASE STUDY IN TAIWAN

Transcription

1 ESTABLISHING MARINE ACCCIDENT CLASSIFICATION: A CASE STUDY IN TAIWAN Chung-Ping Liu Caniate for octor's egree Department of Shipping an Transportation Management National Taiwan Ocean University 2, Pei-Ning Roa, Keelung, Taiwan 20224, R.O.C. Fax: @mail.ntou.eu.tw Ching-Wu Chu Professor Department of Shipping an Transportation Management National Taiwan Ocean University 2, Pei-Ning Roa, Keelung, Taiwan 20224, R.O.C. Fax: cwchu@mail.ntou.eu.tw Gin-Shuh Liang Professor Department of Shipping an Transportation Management National Taiwan Ocean University 2, Pei-Ning Roa, Keelung, Taiwan 20224, R.O.C. Fax: gsliang@mail.ntou.eu.tw Yuhling Su Assistant Professor Department of Shipping an Transportation Management National Taiwan Ocean University 2, Pei-Ning Roa, Keelung, Taiwan 20224, R.O.C. Fax: yuhling@mail.ntou.eu.tw Abstract: In is paper, we establish criterions for classifying marine accients to integrate e navigation safety system of Taiwan. Togeer wi unpreictable of marine accients, e inaccuracy of maritime ata in Taiwan makes marine incient information possess e characteristic of Gray message as escribe by Gray Theory. After analyzing e ata of 107 marine incients, we classifie e accients into four types by e Gray Clustering Meo. The results reveale at e crew s negligence accounts for 93.5% for e cause of all accients. Furermore, 85.1% of crew s negligence is cause by senior crew. Through classifying marine accients, is paper not only makes e port managers of port bureaus an insurance companies realize e amage levels of various kins of marine accients an eir causes, but also provies e managers of harbor bureaus a basis to strengen seamen s quality an management. Key Wors: Marine Accient, Gray Clustering Meo, Accient Classification, Classification Criterions, Gray Theory. 1. INTRODUCTION Taiwan is an islan country, us e economy of Taiwan is heavily epening on e ocean transportation. In such an economic system, e occurrence of marine accients will not only bring casualties on ship, cargo an people s life, but also make a great influence on e trae. However, a marine accient is unpreictable. No one knows when or where it will happen. To avoi marine accients, it is important to provie an effective atabase of marine accients in each port to seamen for reference. Before constructing a high quality atabase of marine accients, we shoul establish e principles of classifying marine accients. That is why is important issue of marine transportation safety is mentione repeately in e 952

2 research of Traffic Policy White Book:Transportation which is publishe in 2002 by e Ministry of Communications in Taiwan. Before iscussing how e atabase of marine accients shoul be constructe, we shoul plan what type of ata shoul be inclue in e atabase. Certainly, marine accient atabase shoul inclue every item liste in e marine survey report; however, ese ata shoul be classifie. Thus, e principles of classifying marine accients shoul be establishe in e first place. Wi ese classifie marine accients ata, seamen can realize an will pay more attention to e frequencies an e causes of each kin of marine accient in each port. It can strengen e capabilities of e seamen to eal wi emergency accients. In aition, it is also helpful for e amiralty court an e salvage organization to invest aequate manpower an resources when ealing wi marine accients. The maritime organizations in some avance maritime nations, such as Marine Accient Investigation Branch in Unite Kingom, Marine Court in Mainlan China, Marine Accients Inquiry Agency in Japan, National Transportation Safety Boar in e Unite States, an Transportation Safety Boar in Canaa, classify e amage cause by marine accients into graes an give ifferent accient investigations an e salvage range ereafter. Basing on e investigation result, e following legal responsibility can be clarifie. However, e formal amiralty court oes not exist in Taiwan. The cases of marine accients are assiste by e marine juge committee or e marine accient salvage committee of each Taiwanese port bureau. The function of e former is to arbitrate an investigate e marine accients, while at of e latter is to offer e salvage an ais. Bo of em o not have e eliberation function as e court. Wi ifferences exist in marine accient ata recore in each Taiwanese port bureau as well as lacking of classifie marine accient atabase, us, when ships wi ifferent flags collie in Taiwanese waters, e port bureaus o not have aequate ata to exchange e information of marine accients as require by e resolutions of International Maritime Organization (IMO). It reveals e urgency for Taiwanese auorities to establish clear rules to integrate an publish e marine accient information. The marine accient survey reports of international commercial harbors in Taiwan offer little an incompletion information about e marine accient classifications. It correspons to e Gray message characteristic of e Gray System Theory. After extensive applications of e Gray Clustering Meo of e Gray System Theory in recent years, we fin at it can help us to eal wi incomplete, unsure, an little useable information, an obtain perfect conclusions an provie effective preictions an ecisions as well (Deng, 1986). That is e reason at we apply e Gray Clustering Meo to is research (Deng, 1999; Zeng, et al., 1993; Hus an Wen, 1998). In recent years, ere are a lot of stuies about e marine accients in our country. Most ocuments emphasize e marine arbitration system an marine responsibility, while e rest ones evote to search an salvage at sea. Many of em mentione an suggeste to set up a 953

3 systematic an stanarize marine atabase to strengen e navigation safety in Taiwanese waters. Chen, Y. H. (2000) has mentione to strengen e abilities of saving an salvage in e Definitions of Marine Accient Types an Classifications, which is publishe in Transportation Planning Journal. However, ese ocuments o not show us how to classify marine accients in eier e research processes or e results of e stuies. There is no paper aime at is issue up to e present. So, we attempt to buil up e classifying stanars of marine accients for international commercial harbors in our country. 2. LITERATURE REVIEW First of all, we try to realize e current situation of countries which have implemente e classifications of marine accients. After reviewing relate stuies, we try to fin out some examples for our own classifications of marine accients. 2.1 Implementing situations of e marine accient classification in oer countries IMO is e largest maritime organization in e worl. The stanars of e serious casualty, which must be reporte from every member country, were liste in No.433 regulation of marine security committee on February irteen, The stanars are as follow. First, ships of 1,600 gross tons or more an 1,600 gross tons is total loss (incluing inferential total loss) because of marine accients. Secon, ships of 500 gross tons or more an 500 gross tons involve e loss of life because of marine accients. To promote e marine accient investigation become e important step of improving e navigation safety an avoiing e sea pollution, IMO aopts Coe for e Investigation of Marine Casualties an Incients in No. A.849(20) Regulation on November twenty-seven, In chapter 4 of is coe, it efines e very serious casualty as a casualty to a ship which involves e total loss of e ship, loss of life or severe pollution. It also efines e serious casualty as a casualty which oes not qualify as a very serious casualty an which involves in a fire, explosion, grouning, contact, heavy weaer amage, ice amage, hull cracking or suspecte hull efect, etc., resulting in structural amage renering e ship unseawory, such as penetration of e hull unerwater, immobilization of main engines, extensive accommoation amage etc., or pollution (regarless of quantity), an/or a breakown necessitating towage or shore assistance. In aition, it efines e serious injury as an injury which is a person in a casualty resulting in incapacitation for more an 72 hours commencing wiin seven ays from e ate of injury. As e marine accient investigation in e Unite States, e ship occurring grouning, propeller breaking, unseawory, loss of life, more an one seaman injury wi losing e ability of sailing about 72 hours, or more an ollars of e loss in a marine accient must be taken over by e Unite States Coast Guar accoring to Rule 4 of e No. 46 Bills. 954

4 Accoring to e National Transportation Safety Boar--Unite States Coast Guar Uniform Rules in 1978, e NTSB investigates marine accients which involve six or more an six seamen life loss, more an total 100 gross tons mobile ship loss, more an 500 ousan ollars loss in rough estimation, or harmful materials at amage e human life, properties, an e environment. Anying mentione above is consiere as e serious casualty. An it also investigates e collision between e ships of Unite States Coast Guar an unofficial ships, leaing to more an one seaman ea or more an 75 ousan ollars loss. In e UK, MAIB sets up e Amiralty Court, an stipulates regular processes wi marine accient investigations an files em accoring to e marine accient classification. For some minor accients, ey will be file away an no more investigate after marking an registering on e original marine accient reports. However, if ere is a serious casualty, MAIB will ask for offering e etaile report. Furermore, MAIB will assign a maritime inspector to investigate an report e result to e court after investigation. The sea affair bureau of e Treasury Department of Liberia ecree e stanar of marine accients accoring to Regulations about Maritime Investigation an Hearing. The stanars of serious casualties are as e following: (1) e practical material loss is over 50,000 ollars; (2) e casualties influence e seaworiness an e capability of e ships; (3) grouning or straning; (4) loss of life; (5) seamen injury or lose eir abilities for more an 72 hours. (Wu, 1993) The Banura efines serious casualties in e Investigation Processing of e Marine Ship Accients as e following: (1)e ship amages so as to lose navigability an nees fixing for more an 48 hours; (2)e ship collies e builings an facilities of e shore an cause em out of work for more an 48 hours; (3)e cargo vessel grouns for 48 hours or more;(4)e passenger vessel grouns for 48 hours or more wheer it gets any amage or not. Oerwise, it will be consiere as an orinary accient. (Huang, et al., 1997) Mainlan China just set up e maritime court of e Amiralty Court to specially eal wi e marine accients. The rules an e stanars of e marine accient classifications in is nation are clearer an ose of any oer great marine countries. In e beginning, ey put e marine accient classifications of The Interim Rules of e Investigation Processing of Marine Casualties in force on March 29, Then, ey clearly classifie e egrees of e ship accient accoring to e classes of e ship tonnage, casualties, immeiately economical loss in e Ship Traffic Accient Statistics Rules on June 16, 1990, an ientifie four egrees of ship accients as e following: minor accients, orinary accients, serious casualties, very serious casualties. The egrees of every marine accient are furer ivie into two classifications of e merchant ships an fishing ships. Therefore, e Mainlan China classifies five levels of marine accients in fact. That is minor accients, orinary accients, major casualties, serious casualties, an very serious casualties. (Gu, 1992) Besies, Hollan sets up e maritime investigation bureau uner e Transportation an 955

5 Public Affair Department. The classification of marine accients is to be ecie by e seriousness of e accient an if e people learn a lesson an an experience by maritime investigation officials. It separates e levels into ree parts, which are wariness, more wariness, an e most wariness. However, ey on t have any clear cut to classify. Accoring to e ocuments review state as above, we fin at ea or injury of seamen become e main juging principles to classify marine accients. The oers are e gross tonnage of e ships, e economical loss of e accient, e seaworiness of e ship, e loss or total loss of e ship, an so on. That s why is research will use e number of casualties an e tonnage of e ship to classify marine accients. In is research, we combine e number of casualties an e number of e ship amage into a new inex, because ere may not be only one ship amage in a marine accient. For example, e ships in ock floate an collie wi each oer because of a strong typhoon in Port Keelung last year. The ships were amage, but noboy got hurt or ie. Incluing only e number of casualties to classify is marine accient, e inex cannot reflect e real situation an may be not perfect. It s real useful to eal wi is kin of marine accients impartiality by e new classification of casualties an e amage of ships. There is no etail economical loss of e accients in e marine accient reports in every harbor of Taiwan now. Only ship owners an e insurers know e information about e real loss an e compensation. So we cannot clearly know e etaile economic loss of accients because of e business benefits. So, we reference e highest compensation, which followe e Convention on Limitation of Liability for Maritime Claims, 1976 to classify e accients. 2.2 Pertinent Researches of e Marine Accients in Nowaays The ocuments relate to marine accients in Taiwan or Cross-Strait can be ivie into four parts, which are marine safety policy an technology (R.O.C. Marine Transportation Research Association, 1994, 1996; The Ministry of Communications, 2002; Chen, 1991; Chen, et al., 1998), maritime arbitration (Lin, 1995; Zhang, 1999), casualty salvage an responsibility (Chen, 1996, 1997, 1998; Zhou, 2000; Qi, 2002), an marine accient investigation (Chen, 1999; Guo, 2000; Hong, 2000). An e results of casualty salvage are e majority. Limite maritime arbitration an marine safety policies are carrie out because of political factors an e transfer of managers of shipping an harbor aministrations. We also fin at most of ese stuies suggest to set up e classification of marine accients but ey o not provie e etail about how to implement it at all. That s e main ifference between our research an e pertinent stuies. The relate papers about every kin of traffic accients only explore e accient classifications of e lan transportation an e air transportation in our nation. There is 956

6 noing mentione about e classification of marine accients. Furermore, while reviewing e classifications of marine accients in international journals, we only foun at Qui (1992) classifie e vessel traffic management system using in every harbor in Mainlan China by e Fuzzy Maematical Moel. He mae no mention about how to classify e marine accients. Huang, et al. (1997) classifie e levels of vessel traffic accients by e maematical moel of e Fuzzy Theory. What ey suggeste can reuce e isavantages of e classifications of e single inex base on law. Since we cannot fin at any oer pertinent papers iscussing e same issues wi us, e classifications of Huang, et al. coul be a goo reference for is research. 3. METHODOLOGY The Gray System Theory, base on e concept of interval analysis, was evelope in 1982 by Professor Ju-Long Deng in China to eal wi incomplete information an uncertain causality. This eory inclues four parts: Gray Relational Analysis, Gray Decision, Gray Evaluation, an Gray Preication. In e Gray System, all messages can be ivie into ree categories white, Gray, an black. The white category shows completely clear messages in a system, e black category contains completely unknown characteristics, an e Gray category occurs in between an covers bo known an unknown messages. The Gray Clustering Analysis (GCA), also propose by Ju-Long Deng in 1982, is one of founations in Gray Evaluation. Since a marine accient is unpreictable an uncontrollable as well as incomplete ata provie, it possesses e characteristic of a Gray message. For is reason, we choose e GCA as e tool in is article. 3.1 Obtaining e Gray Clustering Category Allow x, i = 1,2,..., m; j = 1,2,..., n, to be e observation value of e j evaluation criterion attaine by e i evaluation object. Then, e egree of closeness, enote by, of x to an ieal value can be efine as: x =, (1) max x j max Where x = max{ x }. j i 3.2 Determining e Gray Whitening Function 957

7 Let f, j = 1,2,..., n; k = 1,2,..., p, enote e whitening function of e k jk Gray category in e j evaluation criterion. Then, e membership function of all Gray categories can be efine as: (a) If c j 1, en e ( ) An ( ) j f 1 of Gray category 1 in e j f 1 is linearly ecreasing on e left sie of c 1. That is, j j evaluation criterion is 1. / c j1, if [ 0, c j1 ) f j 1 ( ) = 1, if [ c, ) j1 (2) Where j1 c is e reshol value of ( ) f 1. j f j1 1 0 c j1 (b) If Figure 1. e = c, < t < p st 1 whitening function in e 1, en e ( ) j evaluation criterion f of Gray category t in e j evaluation criterion is 1. An f ( ) is linearly ecreasing on e bo sies of c. That is, efine f ( ) as f Where ( ) = (2c / c 0, ) / c,, if if if c is e reshol value of ( ) f. [ 0, c ) [ c,2c ) [ 2c, ) (3) 958

8 f 1 (c) If Figure 2. e 0 t whitening function in e c 2 c j evaluation criterion c, en f ( ) of Gray category p in e j evaluation criterion is 1. An f ( ) is linearly ecreasing on e right sie of c. That is, efine f ( ) as 1 2c f ( ) = c 0 Where, if, if, if [ 0, c ) [ c,2c ) [ 2c, ) c is e reshol value of ( ) f. (4) f 1 0 c 2 c Figure 3. e p whitening function in e j evaluation criterion 3.3 Gray Clustering Analysis Let, i = 1,2,..., m; j = 1,2,..., n, enote e egree of closeness of x to ieal value max x j. An, let f jk, j = 1,2,..., n; k = 1,2,..., p be e whitening function of e k Gray category in e represente GCC of i observation objects in e j evaluation criterion. Define e Clustering Weight Coefficient (CWC) η jk of f jk as 959

9 η jk = Where n c j= 1 jk c jk c is e reshol value of f ( ) jk reshol values of all evaluation criteria versus jk, an n c jk j= 1 k Gray category. (5) represents e sum of Define e Gray clustering value σ ik of i evaluation object belongs to k Gray category as n σ ik = f jk ( ) j= 1 η (6) jk By using equation (6), we can obtain e Gray clustering series of i observation object as below σ i = ( σ i1, σ i2,, σ ik,, σ ip ) (7) Furermore, if σ it = max { σ i1, σ i2,, σ ik,, σ ip }, en e i observation object belongs to t Gray category. 4. CASE STUDY ANALYSIS The main resource of our marine accients ata is collecte from e Ministry of Communications an port auorities in Taiwan. The research content covers all amages occurre wiin Taiwanese territorial waters. We focus on e amage of marine accients which involve in e amage or loss of e ship itself, e cargo, or e human life even. However, e amage cause by e marine accient, such as environment pollution, poisoning, etc., is not inclue in our research, because is kin of amage is unpreictable or uneasy to be controlle. We collect relate ocuments an e various kins of marine accient classification inicators in e beginning. Next we interview wi officials of each port auorities, managers of maritime epartment of insurance companies, college professors of relate stuy fiel, an managers of insurance epartment or vessel affair epartment of famous shipping companies in Taiwan. We make a questionnaire which combines e forgoing comments, an test em again wi is questionnaire to construct e criteria of e marine accient classification in our stuy. The marine accient reports in each international commercial harbor are short of e actual amage level an e value of e loss cargoes on e ship; e compensation ecie by maritime arbitration makes no mention of e compensation for amage cargoes. The carrier of e accient vessel refuses to provie e relate accient 960

10 information an e amount of compensation because of business secrets; e insurer rejects to tell e etail information about e accient vessel for protecting e privacy of clients an emselves. All above are e reasons why we cannot apply e amage level an e loss value of amage cargoes to e criteria of e Gray Clustering Meo. Besies, ere is no recor about e fixing time of e accient vessel an e isability time of seamen in marine accient reports of port auorities or maritime arbitration. The carrier of e accient vessel an e insurer refuse to provie e information. So we cannot apply e fixing time of e accient vessel an e isability time of seamen to e criteria of e Gray Clustering Meo, eier. We collect ousans of original ata of marine accients in each harbor from 1978 to During e collecting process, we fin at most file papers have been lost wi e time passing or har to ientity what e wor escribe, e transfer of personnel of port auorities lea e information uncomplete, or e escriptions of foreign captains or agents are too conense far simpler in marine accient reports. So only 111 ata remain to be e useful for is stuy. So we eliminate 4 ata at is unsuitable for e Gray Clustering Analysis wiin 111 ata of marine accients. The rest 107 ata is use to be e analysis objects of e Gray Clustering Meo. We compare e actual conitions of all countries at put e marine accient classification into practice, an fin at ey all view it as e serious or very serious casualty once e loss of life occurs. We also interview specialists an scholars for suggestions about e marine accient classification. They all agree at life in istress is superior to ships in istress when consiering e classification of e serious casualty. They also avise us ealing wi em separately before conucting e Gray Clustering Analysis. The main setting of calculating classification for each region of ata in Table 1. Grey Category 1, 2, 3, 4 are efine as especially important accient, important accient, orinary accient, minor accient, respectively. Wi repefitive trial an error, we obtain all e reshol values of all regions an gray categories which are shown in Table 1. Table 1. The Threshol Values of All Regions an Gray Categories Gray Category 1 Data types Especially important accient Gray Category 2 Important accient Gray Category 3 Orinary accient Gray Category 4 Minor accient Threshol value CWC reshol value CWC reshol value CWC reshol value CWC 1 st region / / n region / / / r region / / / /4 Note: ---- represents not applicable. CWC: stans for e clustering weight coefficient mentione in section 3.3. In orer to combine ese ree parts of accients an analyze em altogeer, we buil up four Gray Clustering categories for accient classification, an at is e Gray Clustering inex set k K = { 1, 2,3, 4 }= {especially important accient, important accient, orinary 961

11 accient, minor accient}. The Gray Clustering inex set of e first part is k K = { 1, 2}= {especially important accient, important accient}, at of e secon part is k K = { 1,2, 3}= {especially important accient, important accient, orinary accient}, an at of e ir part is k K = { 1, 2,3, 4 }= {especially important accient, important accient, orinary accient, minor accient}. For e reasons mentione before an e premise of life being beyon price, e accient is classifie to e first region if ere are casualties regarless of e amage level of vessels. There are 26 ata in e first region. The accient is classifie to e secon region if ere is no casualty but e ship is sunk. There are 29 ata in e secon region. The accient is classifie to e ir region if ere is no casualty an no sinking ship but ere are amages of ship. There are 52 ata in e ir region. After Gray Clustering analysis, e number of ata uner each region an category is shown in Table 2. Table 2. The Results after e Gray Clustering Analysis of Each Region an Each Category Data types Gray Category 1 Especially important accient Gray Category 2 Important accient Gray Category 3 Orinary accient Gray Category 4 Minor accient 1 st region n region r region No marine accient classification has been establishe by e Ministry of Communications an port auorities, an ere is no stuy achievement about e marine accient classification in Taiwan, eier. Therefore, accoring to e result of e Gray Clustering Analysis an combining wi e original ata of marine accients, is research tries to summarize classification criteria of e marine accient classification in e following Table 3. Table 3. The Classification Criteria of e Marine Accient Classification for Each Region(1) Gray Category 1 The gross tonnage of ship amage Regarless of e ship amage * * * * No ship amage The number amage of ships 3 The gross tonnage of e sinking ship 1501 Regarless of e sinking ship * * * * No sinking ship * * * The number of e sinking ship The number accient ship of e ~ The gross tonnage of e accient ship Regarless of e number of e accient ship * * * * The number of e casualty 3 an missing 1~2 1~2 No casualty an missing * * * * * Regarless of e casualty an missing * * * *

12 Base on classification criteria evelopment in Table 3, we have classifie e original 107ata once again. There are 9 ata which o not matche wi classification criteria. It shows at e classification criteria in is paper reach 91.59% accuracy. There are 12 columns in Table 3, which are 12 scenarios uner Gray category 1. Uner each column in Table 3, as oing as all * conitions an e oer conitions (for example, in e leftmost column, 3 stans for e oer conition. It requires at e number of e casualty an missing is more an or equal to 3.) are satisfie, is scenarios will be classifie as Gray category 1. Table 3. The Classification Criteria of e Marine Accient Classification for Each Region(2) Gray Category 2 The gross tonnage of ship ~ ~ ~30000 amage Regarless of e ship amage No ship amage * The number of ships amage The gross tonnage of e sinking ship 501~1500 Regarless of e sinking ship * No sinking ship * * * * The number of e sinking ship The number of e * accient ship The gross tonnage of e accient ship 30001~ Regarless of e number of e accient ship * The number of e casualty an missing 1 1~2 1~2 No casualty an missing * * * * * Regarless of e casualty an missing Table 3. The Classification Criteria of e Marine Accient Classification for Each Region(3) Gray Category 3 Gray Category 4 The gross tonnage of ship amage Regarless of e ship amage No ship amage The number of ships amage The gross tonnage of e 500 sinking ship Regarless of e sinking ship * 3001~ ~ * * * * No sinking ship * * * * * The number of e sinking ship The number of e accient ship The gross tonnage of e accient ship 9001~ Regarless of e number of e accient ship * * The number of e casualty an missing No casualty an missing * * * * * * Regarless of e casualty an missing * * 963

13 In Table 4, e occurrence ratio of vessel collision accients is 51.4%, while at of machinery failure is 1.9% only. This means at most causes of marine accients result from man-mae carelessness. From Table 4, we can observe at e collision accients account for major portion of especially important accient an important accient. Table 4. Marine Accient Types of Each Gray Category Gray Category 1 Gray Category 2 Gray Category 3 Gray Category 4 Especially important accient Important accient Orinary accient Minor accient Total Collision (51.4%) Gounering (8.4%) Straning (12.2%) Machinery Failure (1.9%) Fire (11.2%) Leaking (0.9%) Oers (14.0%) Total (100%) Table 5 shows anoer avantage of marine accient classification. It makes port auorities an insurance companies realize e causes of ifferent accient amage levels. For example, Table 5 shows marine accient cause by complete man-mae carelessness is e prime accient cause among all e Gray Clustering categories. The aggregate value of complete man-mae carelessness among ese four accient categories is 86.9%. If accients of man an e weaer or man an machinery are inclue, e aggregate value of accients about man-mae carelessness reaches 93.5%. Table 5. Marine Accient Cause-type of Each Gray Category Category Gray Category 1 Gray Category 2 Gray Category 3 Gray Category 4 Cause type Especially important accient Important accient Orinary accient Minor accient Total Complete personnel carelessness (86.9%) Complete weaer efect (3.7%) Personnel an weaer efect (4.7%) Complete machine efect (2.8%) Personnel an machine efect (1.9%) Total (100%) Table 6 shows e ir avantage of marine accient classification. It provies port auorities to strengen management of seaman quality. Table 6 shows e carelessness ratio of officers in eck (incluing master, chief mate, secon mate, an ir mate) is 85.1%, while at of officers in engine room is 13.1% among ignore of all e seaman classes. The ratio of negligence of e master is e most serious. It reaches 63.6%. That of chief mate an chief engineer is e next. They reach about 11.2%. That of pilot reaches 7.5%. In oer wors, e navigation technique an ability to eal wi emergency of pilots, captains, chief engineers, 964

14 an chief mates shoul be strengene, an all classes of eucation organizations at foster staffs in eck an engine room shoul implement accurate an strict training in orer to reuce bo e occurrence an e amage of marine accients in Taiwanese international harbors as low as possible. Negligent causer Category Table 6. Negligent Causers of Each Gray Category Gray category 1 Especially important accient Gray category 2 Gray category 3 Important accient Orinary accient Gray category 4 Minor accient Master (63.6%) Chief Mate (11.2%) Chief Engineer (11.2%) Secon Mate (8.4%) Pilot (7.5%) Thir Mate (1.9%) First Engineer (1.9%) Total 5. CONCLUSION The main purpose of is research is to establish marine accient classification criteria which are helpful for constructing information relate to navigation safety an helpful for enhancing navigation safety system, so it is an important an basic research for improving navigation safety. The result of is research can make e seaman realize e frequency an e cause of marine accients an strengen e seaman s ability to eal wi an emergency accient. Furermore, e result propose in is stuy is also helpful for organizations, such as e amiralty court an e salvage organization, in optimizing e level of resources to invest in. Our research suggests at ere shoul be moifications an amenments to e classification of marine accient coe. Furermore, more explanations about e legal basis of e marine accient classifications an promotions to traffic safety coe shoul be mae in orer to increase e effectiveness of e marine accient classification. To sum up, we summarize e avantages of our propose marine accient classification as follows: (a) Due to ifferent efinitions of e marine accient classification, ifferent qualities of e marine accient information, an ifferent characteristics of water, it results in many types of marine accient classifications. After comparing to every country s marine accient classification system, we fin at our classification shoul be e most suitable mechanism for Taiwan an can be put into practice easily. (b) Setting up stanar operation proceures to collect e information of marine accients can offer a unite statistics of marine accients to every harbor bureau an e Ministry of Communications also can buil up e marine accient atabase corresponing to e international maritime coes. (c) Base on e classification of ifferent types of accients, e salvage organizations can realize e seriousness of e accients an assign proper manpower, facilities 965

15 an resources to avoi wasting unnecessary resources. () It offers e official salvage organizations a reference inex to ecie how many resources of e salvage material an manpower ey shoul invest in. (e) It can offer e information for e schools or e training institutions to strengen e abilities of e seamen to eal wi an emergency situation. An e shipping epartment of e Ministry of Communications shoul strengen on e job of training of e captains, pilots, chief officers, an chief engineers regularly. (f) Better unerstaning of e types an e causes of e marine accients in Taiwanese waters can reuce e operational negligence of e seamen when ey are sailing. (g) Wi more information about e flag an type of accient ships, e insurers can establish more reasonable insurance premium an compensation. At last, we hope all shipping companies, insurers, an relate associations can offer e information of practical compensation an loss amount to improve e navigation safety in e future. We also hope em can offer e information about e recovery time of e injure seamen an e repairing time of e ship to make e system become perfect so as to promote e transportation safety of e people, e ships, an e cargoes. REFERENCES The R.O.C. Marine Transportation Research Association. (1996) The stuy on e technology of safety at sea in cross-strait, The Ministry of Communications Press. Gu, W.X. (1992) Ship transportation safety, Dalian Maritime University Press. The Ministry of Communications (2002) The White Book of Traffic Policy: Transportation, The Ministry of Communications Press. Chi, M. (2002) The stuy of salvage system in Taiwan, Master Thesis, Institute of Shipping Transportation Management, National Taiwan Ocean University, Taiwan. Wu, Z.L. (1993) Maritime investigation an assay, Dalian Maritime University Press. Lin, G.M. (1995) The stuy of maritime consieration system, Journal of Shipping Transportation, Vol. 361, Chou, Y.H. (2000) The stuy of e responsibility for sinking an grouning in cases of shipwreck in Taiwan, Master Thesis, Institute of Shipping Transportation Management, National Taiwan Ocean University, Taiwan. Hong, B.L. (2000) The analyzing stuy of research an rescue hanling of shipwreck an evience investigation, Master Thesis, Institute of Maritime Police, Central Officer University, Taiwan. Guo, J.L. (2000) The stuy on e current conition of marine accient investigation in Taiwan, Master Thesis, Institute of Maritime Technology, National Taiwan Ocean University, Taiwan. 966

16 Chen, Z.L. (1991) The stuy of an analyzing moel for marine accient,master Thesis, Institute of Maritime Technology, National Taiwan Ocean University, Taiwan. Chen, Y.H. (2000) The preliminary stuy on e maritime casualty ientification techniques, Highest Level of e Executive Branch. Chen, Y.H. (1999) The stuy on e marine traffic accient investigation, Highest Level of e Executive Branch. Chen, Y.H. (1998) The experimental stuy for e integration of marine search an rescue information, Highest Level of e Executive Branch. Chen, Y.H. et al. (1997) A stuy on e marine rescue simulation to e ship in istress, Highest Level of e Executive Branch. Chen, Deng, J.L. et al. (1998) Shipping safety an management, Dalian Maritime University Press. Deng, J.L. (1999) Gray system eory an application, China. Deng, J.L. (1986) Gray preiction an ecision, Huazhong Institute of echnology Press, Wuhan, China. Huang, Y.P., Zheng, Z.Y. an Wu, Z.L. (1997) Fuzzy moel for quantitative etermination of casualty levels, Journal of Dalian Maritime University, Vol. 23, No. 4, Hus, C.I. an Wen, Y.H. (1998) Applying gray clustering an multiobjective programming on airline network esign, Proceeings of e Secon Asia Pacific Decision Science Institute Conference, Taipei, Taiwan. Qiu, Z. (1992) Quantitative etermination of VTMS levels, Journal of Navigation, Vol. 45, No. 2, Zeng, B.Y., Li, Q.Q., Li, A.F., Zhang, C.Q. an Chen, H.B. (1993) Gray clustering for wheat parent crosses, The Journal of Gray System, Vol. 3,