Severity, Probability, and Exposure
It is the shared goal of the entire crew of Sarah Sarah to operate as safely as possible and to consider all risks and mitigation measures according to established best practices, regulatory requirements, and the experience and judgment of the crew to ensure a successful trip. In many instances, what is generally required will be well exceeded in our safety management system.
Forty percent of the planned voyage will be above the arctic circle with twenty percent of those miles through the Canadian Arctic Archipelago, a region of hazardous ice conditions combined with long distances of extreme isolation. The geography of the voyage in these waters increases the exposure to hazards and the severity of any failures or mishaps in these regions.
Communications with the Canadian Coast Guard, NORDREG, and the Canadian Ice Service began in March and will continue up to and during the voyage through the arctic. Sarah-Sarah will maintain a schedule of reporting with all authorities (U.S., Canada, and Greenland) that meet and most often exceed requirements to include ships position, vessel condition, weather, ice observations, and marine life as appropriate.
Responsible organizations involved in hazardous operations use some system of risk analysis when planning for safe operations. While there are different methods used to make these evaluations, they all follow the basic principles of assessing basic elements of risk; allowing for the three tenets of severity, probability, and exposure (SPE) – or the simpler assessments of impact versus probability. When the impact or severity is serious injury or death, additional risk controls should always be implemented to decrease the probability.
Sarah-Sarah is using a standard 5×5 tool to assess the severity and probability of each encountered hazard and then weighing that against the amount of time exposed to that risk to make decisions about risk acceptance parameters and risk mitigation.
In this matrix, “Impact” represents the severity of the outcome.
A voyage of this length added to the isolation and unique environmental hazards along the route increase the SPE analysis required of the crew, but those hazards include:
Vessel Condition and Operation:
The maintenance and operational integrity of all vessel systems. Sarah-Sarah will act, as all boats do, as a life support system for the crew, particularly in the arctic conditions. Unlike a voyage in home waters, close to shore and therefor close to ready assistance, the impact of an engine or other vessel system moves from “minor” to “severe” fairly rapidly. The importance of maintenance, spare parts, and repairability increase dramatically. Sarah-Sarah’s plan for this risk is covered in the Vessel Systems section of our plan.
Crew Health and Wellness
Distance equals time offshore and in the arctic, the time to advanced medical care can be measured in days. Best by ice and it can be longer. Carrying a first aid kit will not mitigate the risks encountered just from being four men in an isolated environment for any amount of time. This voyage included extensive medical reporting, a supervisory MD ashore with long experience in wilderness medicine, advanced equipment and medicines on board for various common (and uncommon) ailments, and training for the entire crew prior to departure. Details about what we are doing as it relates to crew wellness, including crew rest, can be found in the Crew Health section.
Personal Protective Equipment
When operating in the cabin of Sarah-Sarah, even in arctic summer conditions, the insulation and heating systems of the vessel allow for a warm, dry environment requiring no PPE except when doing engine room checks which require shoes, hearing protection and safety glasses. When working on deck, however, those requirements change.