Risk communication: Following a maritime disaster

Abstract

This chapter covers context, audience and communication implications for risk communication in maritime situations. In the specific environment and unique circumstances of maritime work and recreation, what is the nature of the audience? What are their typical cognitive and emotional states in response to both routine and life-threatening maritime events, and how does this affect how you need to communicate? Aiming to enhance the effectiveness of important safety and risk information provided at sea, the chapter brings together expertise from psychology and communication to create a practical checklist of things to consider when communicating maritime risk. We begin with a “worst case scenario," discussing audience reactions under crisis conditions. We then lead into more typical everyday maritime risk communication situations. The crisis case, while extreme, helps illuminate some of the underlying factors that are consistently present at lower levels in an audience that faces some level of risk on a daily basis, and which influence the requirements for effective day-to-day risk communication.