An integrated interval type-2 fuzzy SLIM and FEM model for working aloft risk analysis in shipboard operations

Working aloft on merchant vessels entails significant risks, necessitating rigorous safety protocols to mitigate potentially severe or fatal outcomes. Despite adherence to safety management systems and operational guidelines, incidents persist due to multifaceted contributing factors, notably the human error. This study introduces an innovative risk analysis framework by integrating the Success Likelihood Index Methodology (SLIM) with Interval Type-2 Fuzzy Sets (IT2FSs) and the Finite Element Method (FEM) to evaluate fall-related hazards during shipboard operations. SLIM quantifies human error probability (HEP) in tasks performed within cargo spaces, while IT2FSs enhance uncertainty modelling, and FEM provides detailed biomechanical insights into the consequences of falls from varying heights. The highest performance shaping factor (PSF) scores for Leadership and Supervision, Fatigue/Workload and Risk Acceptance, respectively – which are critical to the human factor – emphasize the need for proactive risk mitigation measures to strengthen the effectiveness of safety action frameworks in relation to work at height. Also, the FEM findings demonstrate that victims of falls on ships can incur fatal injuries even at relatively low heights, subject to the configuration and trajectory of the fall. This integrated methodology offers maritime authorities and ship operators a robust tool to reduce accident rates and elevate occupational safety standards.