Survival versus safety at sea. Regulators' portrayal of paralysis in safety regulation development

摘要

Safety regulation can decrease the frequent accidents in sea transportation, but aspects of the existing regulations are found to contribute negatively to safety. Earlier studies suggest other framework conditions to influence maritime safety more than regulation, without reviewing the relation between the maritime context and regulation. Therefore, this paper explores maritime regulators' safety-related decisions. The data consist of interviews with regulators and facts about other actors (i.e., politicians, shipping companies, interests groups, and the media) in the maritime transport arena. The findings, which are based on safety, decision-making, and arena theories, are not described by earlier research.