Safety and Human Factors

ABS and Green Award Collaboration

ABS has joined the Green Award certification network to help drive safer and more sustainable global shipping.

Read More

Improving Safety & Productivity Through Design

Security of life starts with improving the safety and well-being of personnel with a clear understanding of their capabilities and limitations. This understanding is then incorporated into design practices and principles.

ABS has been active in developing maritime industry safety, human factors and ergonomics guidance documents. The ABS approach captures important elements affecting safety and efficiency in job performance, vessel or offshore installation design and layout considerations, workplace environmental elements, management and organizational issues related to operations, and the personnel who operate the offshore asset. 


ABS research and development activities in safety and human factors strive to address many industry concerns:

  • Mariner Personal Safety (MPS)
  • Workplace Design
  • Management & Organization.

Examples of research at ABS to address safety issues include:

  • What is the appropriate vessel or offshore installation design to help personnel safely and successfully access equipment to complete assigned tasks?
  • Do existing designs comply with regional influences or expectations?
  • Do existing designs violate worker expectations and possibly increase individual tendencies for risk taking and risk tolerance? 

Need more information about safety and human factors in design? Contact your nearest office to ask for guidance.