Complacency is at the root of too many shipping accidents, according to P&O Ferries' safety chief Grant Laversuch.
Writing in the UK Marine Accident Investigation Branch's latest safety digest, he said "the C word" is an easy way to explain a multitude of errors away.
"But if we really understood what complacency was, it wouldn't exist," he added.
Laversuch said the best definition of complacency is "when we feel comfortable with something and start to let our guard down."
He gave the example of a fatal accident on an unnamed vessel while an experienced seafarer was acting as a banksman for the loading of an unaccompanied piece of freight by a tug master.
He became trapped between the rear of the trailer and a vent housing and was killed after leaving a position of safety.
Laversuch said: "He was professional, well trained and certainly knew the risks involved in working on a vehicle deck. He did the same work every day, worked with the same people every day, and no doubt started to feel comfortable in the job he did."
'One mistake'
He added: "On this day he made one mistake and put himself into a place of danger. The consequences were tragic and the impacts were huge to him, his family and his colleagues. It could be said that he had become complacent."
Laversuch said that in his five years as safety management officer, he had interviewed 43 deck officers before they took command for the first time.
"While many of these new captains have since been involved in incidents, none of those incidents were construed to have been caused by complacency. However during that same time, we have had some incidents that were complacency-driven and without exception these have involved very experienced masters," he said.
"I know with the passage of time those 43 younger captains will be at risk of moving into the complacency trap."
Laversuch added: "The day we feel fully comfortable in anything we undertake is the day that we are in for a nasty surprise.
"We are all human and we all make mistakes, seafarers and management alike. We all need to acknowledge this, recognise our mistakes, share and support each other, challenge ourselves and challenge others."
