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Making Decisions About Safety in US Ports and Waterways

Department of Statistical Sciences and Operations Research, Virginia Commonwealth University, PO Box 843083, 1001 West Main Street, Richmond, Virginia 23284
Department of Engineering Management and Systems Engineering, George Washington University, 1776 G Street NW, Washington, DC 20052
jrmerric{at}vcu.edu
jharrald{at}gwu.edu

The US Coast Guard (USCG) is charged with maintaining an acceptable level of safety in US ports and waterways. Allocating resources to solve safety problems is difficult because multiple attributes of a port or waterway affect its safety and determine whether a particular safety measure will improve it. We based the ports and waterways safety assessment (PAWSA) model on multiattribute decision analysis techniques and local experts’ and stakeholders’ assessments of safety levels and the effects safety alternatives would have on these levels. The USCG used the PAWSA model to justify funding for four new vessel traffic service centers and to determine new technology requirements for all commercial vessels using US waters. The USCG has adopted it as a permanent part of its safety management tool kit.

Key Words: decision analysis; applications; transportation; safety and injuries