The operating environment of high-speed workboats has become increasingly demanding in terms of human performance. In rescue, defence, police, and other professional maritime-related operations, boats move at ever higher speeds, and the cognitive demands on crew performance are challenging. Maritime organisations are responsible for ensuring and supporting crew performance; however, this work has been hindered by a lack of information on the factors that affect crew performance. Although the understanding of human factors has increased in maritime in recent years, much remains to be done.

In a recently published paper, we defined eight competencies, structured as behavioural markers, that lead to excellent performance by high-speed workboat crews in cockpit work and can promote maritime safety and operational efficiency. Behavioural markers refer to a taxonomy of the crew’s key skills, knowledge, and attitude associated with crew performance, safety, and efficiency in operations and illustrate them using example behaviours.

The behavioural marker taxonomy was based on aviation standards, further reasoned by human factor models and maritime knowledge. The pioneering work in international civil aviation to improve human performance and operational safety significantly supported our research and provided a background structure against which other data was compared. Behavioural markers were formed utilising content analysis, and they were validated at the prototype level using observation data from actual cockpit work. At the same time, we ensured that the competence taxonomy described the actual activities.

How can taxonomy be utilised in high-speed maritime?

Our study contributes to improving crew and operational performance, as well as safety, and to developing sociotechnical systems in the field. Behavioural markers help operators at different levels of maritime organisations develop sharp-end work and positively influence background processes. In the formation of the taxonomy, special attention was paid to the fact that behavioural markers support the group work and resource management of cockpit work. In our previous study, Human factor analysis of cockpit work incidents in high-speed workboats: the mystery hidden between the lines, we identified development needs specifically in these areas of human factors.

The taxonomy of competencies, defined in behavioural markers, can be effectively used in the development of practical activities, such as safety management, synchronisation of organisational levels, components of the maritime sociotechnical system, standard operating procedures, and incident and accident investigation. The evaluation and support of crews in training work is significantly more accurate, fair and effective when both instructors and crews are better aware of the desired behaviours. To analyse human activity that is difficult to assess and more non-technical in nature, concrete and detailed behavioural markers are essential. This need has been identified in several safety-critical sectors. The scientific contribution of this study complements the chain of previous maritime behavioural marker taxonomies.

Our research can be used to promote the development of modern seamanship and support maritime organisations and the crews of high-speed boats and larger vessels in their demanding work. To succeed in this, we need to foster increasing cooperation among crew members, crews, maritime organisations, and their various levels, as well as safety-critical sectors. It is essential to continually produce new information and promote cooperation between researchers and practitioners.

Mikko Lehtimäki
Doctoral researcher, HF specialist
University of Vaasa

• Lehtimäki, M., & Teperi, A. M. (2025). Developing behavioural markers of high-speed workboat crews’ competencies. International Journal of Occupational Safety and Ergonomics, 1–14. https://doi.org/10.1080/10803548.2025.2499338

The authors wish to thank the following for their invaluable support: the Finnish Cultural Foundation of South Ostrobothnia, the Otto A. Malm Foundation, the Ella and Georg Ehrnrooth Foundation, the Coastal and Freshwater Traffic Foundation, the Gustav B. Thorden Foundation, the Foundation for the Promotion of Fisheries and Maritime, the Finnish Maritime Foundation, and the Funder of work research and development.

They are also grateful to the participating maritime organisations, Traficom and the Regional State Administrative Agency for Western and Inland Finland, the Safety Investigation Authority of Finland, and the aviation community for all the information they have provided.

The first author expresses his sincere gratitude for the support from Research Professor and Docent Anna-Maria Teperi at the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health.