Improving the Effectiveness of Safety Interventions in Maritime SAR

A new international study, ‘Improving the Effectiveness of Safety Interventions in Maritime SAR’, funded by Lloyd’s Register Foundation and led by Dr Colin Pilbeam at Cranfield University in collaboration with the IMRF, looks at a familiar challenge in maritime safety.

How do you take a practice that works well in one organisation, industry or country and make it work just as effectively somewhere else?

Drawing on interviews with maritime search and rescue (SAR) practitioners from 11 countries, along with three workshops, the research explores how safety interventions are shared, adapted and applied across very different operational settings. Informed by Røvik’s theory of knowledge translation, it examines how practices need to be carefully understood then adapted, rather than simply replicated, to work effectively in different contexts. Its findings challenge long-held assumptions and point to a more practical way forward.

The study offers a grounded and realistic view of how knowledge is shared across the SAR community. By focusing on adaptation rather than replication, it provides a stronger and more practical basis for improving safety outcomes worldwide.

Caroline Jupe, CEO of the IMRF, said: “This research highlights something many in our community have long understood instinctively. What works in one place does not always work in another without careful thought and adaptation. By recognising the importance of context and the role of those who translate knowledge into practice, we can improve how we share learning across the global maritime SAR community and ultimately save more lives at sea.”

Full report 

You can access the final full report here.

Summary of the research

A summary of the research can be downloaded here.

Podcast

Paul Duffy, IMRF Maritime SAR Academy Project Manager, spoke with Colin Pilbeam about the report in the IMRF’s latest podcast. You can listen to the podcast here.

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Background to the study: Why ‘copy and paste’ does not work in maritime SAR

There has long been an assumption that once something works in one context, it can simply be rolled out elsewhere. Training manuals, policies and procedures are often shared on that basis.

In practice, it rarely works like that.

Maritime SAR operates in hugely varied conditions. Geography, funding, organisational structures and culture all shape how services are delivered. What feels routine in one country can be difficult, or even unworkable, in another.

The study brings this into sharp focus.

• Some organisations have been operating for over 200 years with well-developed infrastructure, while others are much newer and working with far fewer resources.
• Conditions at sea also vary significantly, from icy northern waters to warmer Mediterranean environments, and from inland lakes to open ocean.
• Teams are structured differently too. Many services still reflect traditional maritime hierarchies, while others are evolving as demographics change. Relationships with partner agencies can either support cooperation or make it harder.

What does come through consistently is the people. Across all contexts, SAR relies on people, many of whom are volunteers, who are well trained, committed and motivated. That shared sense of purpose is one of the strongest foundations for making any intervention work.

All of this means that transferring a practice is never just about the practice itself. It is about how well it fits. When practices are applied without proper adaptation, they can be misunderstood, misapplied, or fail to deliver the intended safety or operational outcomes.

From transfer to translation

Rather than thinking in terms of simple transfer, the study suggests a more useful way of approaching the problem, one that is closer to translation of a language.

• A practice needs to be understood in its original setting, then reshaped so it works in a new one. Sometimes that change is small, sometimes more substantial.
• There is also a clear difference between types of intervention. Straightforward equipment and technology, such as lifejackets or helmets, tend to translate more easily. Their purpose is obvious, and they can often be adopted with relatively little adjustment.
• Even then, it is not always simple to achieve. Equipment introduced into a new setting may be misunderstood, rejected, or used differently depending on local habits and needs.
• Processes and procedures are another matter. Training manuals and operating procedures are often detailed and shaped by the conditions they were written for. When moved elsewhere, they can be difficult to follow or simply impractical.

In response, practitioners have found ways to adapt. Complex documents are simplified, written guidance is turned into visual material, and examples are adjusted to reflect local realities, from the types of boats used to the communities and cultures involved.

A key part of making this work is the role of the translator. These are the people who bridge the gap between organisations, interpreting what matters in one setting and working out how it can be applied in another. That requires a strong understanding of both contexts, particularly when moving from policy into practice, where the level of detail needed for implementation is often missing.

Turning insight into action

The research also looks at how these ideas play out in practice, particularly in low-resource settings and in response to emerging risks.

• One of the clearest challenges is the gap between policy and reality. International guidance can assume levels of funding, infrastructure and expertise that are not always available, making direct implementation difficult without adaptation.
• Where things do work well, there are some common themes. Guidance is simplified and made more accessible, often using visual formats. Solutions are developed in partnership with local organisations, so they reflect real conditions and are more likely to be adopted.
• Trust plays a big part too. People are far more likely to embrace new ways of working when they feel involved in shaping them.
• The study also highlights the need to look ahead. New technologies, such as lithium-ion batteries, are already changing the risk profile at sea. Responding to these developments may require adjustments to established practices, and in some cases a rethink of how incidents are managed.

Alongside these insights, the research points to clear next steps for the sector. These include:

• Developing tools to assess how easily practices can be adapted
• Building stronger translation skills across the SAR community
• Creating more accessible libraries of proven approaches.

It also highlights the need for further research, particularly in understanding how policy can be more effectively translated into practice, how organisations adapt over time, and the role that trust plays in successful collaboration.