Leif Ole Dreyer

Field of work

Ole Dreyer is an Associate Professor at the Department of Mechanical Engineering and Maritime Studies at the Western Norway University of Applied Sciences. He advocates for a transformative approach to safety management, viewing human skill and adaptability as crucial assets in bridging gaps within technology, processes, and information in contemporary work systems.

His sentiment is well reflected by a quote from the Marine Accident Report on Fire on Board STENA SCANDICA, published by the Danish Maritime Accident Investigation Board:

"For many years, accident investigation focused on the shortcomings in human performance as a safety-critical issue. The fire and blackout on STENA SCANDICA highlight the opposite: human skill and adaptability can remedy failures and shortcomings of the ships’ systems. This occurs on a daily basis during normal ship operation on a small scale and goes unnoticed. When a major system failure occurs, such as the power supply failure on STENA SCANDICA, where none of the ship’s systems are operational, including the emergency system, it becomes apparent that crew members’ adaptive capacities in emergency situations are essential for ensuring the safety of the ship."

Ole's extensive experience includes working as a deck officer on LPG tankers and holding a Master Unlimited Ocean license (now expired), further complemented by a PhD in nautical operations. His research interests encompass safety management, autonomous ships, human factors, (floating) offshore wind, maritime operations, learning from normal work, and the improvement and impact of teaching methods.

Moreover, Ole serves as the safety representative (verneombud) for his working group, ensuring that safety standards are upheld within his department. Outside of his professional sphere, Ole has a genuine passion for outdoor activities such as sailing, kiting and skiing.

Ole has a shared digital office with his colleague Torkel Bjarte Larsson. You can visit it here: https://discord.com/invite/bm9uxPd87n.

Courses taught

• NAB3030 Bachelor Project
• NABP3005 Health, working environment and safety
• MMO5002 Safety and Human Factors
• MMO5011 Ship Operation and Maintenance Management
• MMO5017 Master thesis
• EVN1020 Maritime operations for offshore wind
• Basic Training for Liquefied Gas Tanker Cargo Operations
• Advanced Training for Liquefied Gas Tanker Cargo Operations

Research areas

• Maritime Autonomy – Investigation of Suitable Safety Management Measures
• Learning from Normal Work - Maintenance of Offshore Wind Turbines
• Improvement and impact of teaching methods that foster student learning
• STCW Review & Revision

Research groups

• MarSafe