Risk Ahoy - UK P&I Club turning to gamification for loss prevention message

Gamification is the use of computer game like elements to train staff in non-gaming tasks and has been used successfully by the likes of fast food giant McDonald’s to support the launch of a new till system.

Speaking at seminar in Singapore on Thursday, UK Club loss prevention director, Stuart Edmonston said, “We designed a computer game last year.”

The club’s first foray into gamification is not a serious training game, rather a fun retro-arcade style game Risk Ahoy where the player has to perform tasks such as jumping from the pilot ladder to pilot vessel safely and steering away from pilots. The app based game for both Apple and Android mobile devices is designed to be a novel way of highlighting risk onboard.

While not a serious training game Edmonston said it would raise the profile of the shipping industry and is available for free download at the Apple App Store and on Google Play.

Based on a 4.4 out of 5 star rating by 20 users on Google Play and some very positive comments it would appear the game has been a success on this front.

The club is now working with game designers on a more serious training game.