Attitudes towards safety amongst junior crew onboard commercially registred yachts.

Abstract: Safety is a key corner stone in order to minimize risks of accidents onboard vessels and yachts. Despite existing regulations and rules, reports of lethal accidents keeps occuring on all types of vessels. Previous studies show that in any work place attitudes towards risks play a key part in order to create a safe enviorment in the work place. Seeing the number of accidents in recent reports onboard yachts, the research investigated the existing attitudes towards safety amongst junior crew onboard commercially registred yachts.  Semistructured comprehensive interviews with eight crew were conducted, and results showed a disregard for existing regulations onboard their yachts. Moreover it was found attitudes onboard towards safety are not all positive, due to several factors creating behaviours which are not following safety procedures. The results showed that severeal factors are hindering a more positive attitude towards safety. The existing attitudes are influenced by existing culture in the industry, other crewmembers and employers. But also job security and time factors played a part in their behaviour and how they coped with risks. Despite these results, respondents showed a willingness to change and to adopt a more positive attitude towards safety.