Issuing agency: Lloyd's Register
Column: research report
source: https://www.lr.org/en/knowledge/research-reports/2025/alarm-management-volume-2/
While some ships meet recommended performance targets, many still struggle with alarm overload and nuisance alarms— resulting in a high “noise-to-signal" ratio that severely impact the trustworthiness of alarm systems and lead to dangerous conditions of alarm fatigue on board.
Addressing the top 10 most frequent alarms can significantly reduce the alarm load
The presented alarm system performance assessment models balance depth and usability, offering decision-making insights without inducing any paperwork or administrative burdens on the crew
Our follow up research on alarm management in the maritime industry examines just over 2,000 days, or ~48,000 hours, or no fewer than 40 million unique alarm-related events from the integrated automation systems of 11 participating ships, through the lens of the widely recognised performance targets found within IEC 62682:2014 and EEMUA 191.
Figure: Alarm system performance in upset states for participating ship types (courtesy of the EEMUA)
Our comprehensive quantitative research confirms what the watchkeeping officers have been experienced, as presented in our previous work:
In light of these findings, we encourage the maritime industry to adopt policies to evaluate their alarm systems objectively and to begin as soon as possible.