Application of a fuzzy multi-criteria decision framework for safety-critical maritime infrastructure evaluation

This present paper is an investigation of a framework for Safety-Critical Maritime Infrastructure (SCMI) evaluation. The framework contains three Multi-Criteria Decision-Making (MCDM) tools, namely: fuzzy Step-wise Weight Assessment Ratio Analysis (SWARA), Technique for Order of Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) and Weighted Aggregates Sum Product Assessment (WASPAS). It also contains five safety practice criteria: people's safety, property safety and monitoring capabilities, response to regular and irregular threats in a robust yet flexible manner, and breaches in physical security. The framework has four safety culture criteria: learning from experience and inter-element collaboration, lack of facility maintenance, and anticipating risk events and opportunities. Through the framework, an evaluation of the safety practices and safety culture of six Nigerian seaports is done. Then, data obtained from the ports in regard to their safety practices and culture were analysed in line with the framework identified and adopted. The results revealed that the safety of people's life is the most important safety practice and contributed about 47.90% to evaluate the SCMI. Results equally showed that the most significant safety culture is learning from experience, and accounted for approximately 53.20% in assessing the SCMI. Similarly, the TOPSIS method ranked Warri (A₅) and Tin Can Island A₁ as the best and worst safety practices performance, respectively. Results of analyses on the TOPSIS showed that Apapa port (A₂) and Onne port (A₆) had the best and worst performances correspondingly. WASPAS was also analysed. The results indicated that A₆ performed the best safety practice performance, while A₂ had the worst safety practice performance. Analysis of the WASPAS method was equally done. It showed that A₁ had the worst safety culture performance, while A₅ had the best safety culture performance. Therefore, the proposed framework could serve as a veritable tool for analysing SCMI by using safety practice and safety culture criteria.