What makes a port safe? A multi-criteria analysis from captains' standpoint using BBWM and MARCOS

Ports are significant for global trade. With the advances of technology, greener ports, and human knowledge, ports aim to become safer. However, a negative situation at ports can cause disruptions to the supply chain, financial crises, and even national security crises. The human standpoint is crucial for port safety. Port safety requires identifying and understanding the risks and implementing the necessary procedures. Captains play a vital role in the safer berthing of ships in port, utilizing their knowledge and experience. The aim of this study is to identify the criteria that impact port safety from the captains' perspective and to assess ports in relation to these criteria. In this context, Bayesian BWM (BBWM) and MARCOS methods were used to weight the criteria and rank the ports. Based on the results, the most important main criteria is the Human criteria. The least important criteria are the Meteorologic criteria. According to the captains, among the Ambarli, Antwerp, Los Angeles, Melbourne, Salalah, and Shanghai ports, Antwerp is considered the safest port, while Salalah is deemed the least safe.