Abandon ship drills are an important aspect to ensure safety onboard, even in times of crisis. While these drills are commonly taking place along with other drills, such as fire drills, knowing how to properly act when an abandon ship situation occurs can really save lives. For this reason, John Southam, Loss Prevention Executive, North P&I Club, shares vital information on how to ensure a safe and efficient abandon ship drill.

There have been several reports of incidents on Dynamic Positioning (DP) vessels where control was lost because the DP operator (DPO) failed to correctly switch control between different operating stations, notes Mr. John Southam, Loss Prevention Executive at North P&I Club highlighting ways to reduce the likelihood of serious position-loss incidents.

During the 2020 SMART4SEA Athens Forum, John Southam, Loss Prevention Executive, The North of England P&I Association Limited, focused on the P&I perspective of autonomous ships and new technologies in general. As he explains, with the emergence of automation, new risks have been born as well, such as new definitions or new roles. Shipping should address these changes and adopt to the new situation.

During the 2019 SAFETY4SEA Athens Conference, Mr. John Southam, Loss Prevention Executive at North Club, focused on a new safety approach called Safety Management 2.0. This highlights a current problem in shipping where company’s management systems are mainly based on complex procedures alone often forgetting the human element.

In the latest issue of Signals newsletter by North P&I Club, John Southam, Loss Prevention Executive, shares his views with respect to GPS, citing common problems that impede safe navigation and best practice for navigational officers to maintain good situational awareness.