The clock is ticking towards the IMO Resolution taking effect from January 2021 that states cyber security should be included in safety management systems (SMS). Whether shipping industry is ready or not to comply with the new requirements is currently the million-dollar question. In this context, Mr Kostas Vlachos, Chief Operating Officer, LATSCO shares his perspective and what needs to be considered, in less than a month, in Safety Management Systems.

During his presentation at the last GREEN4SEA Conference, Mr. Kostas Vlachos, COO, Latsco Marine Management, presented why LPG as a fuel should be considered as a viable option in a strategy toward decarbonization.

Kostas Vlachos, CMM, focuses on the preparation of the Monitoring Plan and suggests that a Risk based approach is certainly required. He further presents the required Data Flow Activities for the control of data and referred to issues concerning the Quality assurance and Reliability of IT along with the required Internal Reviews and Validation of data.

Kostas G. Vlachos, Chief Operating Officer, CMM has responded to GREEN4SEA questions regarding the progress made in environmental issues within the 2016 stressing the need for a cooperation between EU and IMO in order to find a sound solution for the issue of shipping emissions as soon as possible. Mr Vlachos highlights that IMO should be the only one proper forum where a world wide industry matter can be discussed in proper way for reaching a sound solution for the shipping industry.

-Kostas Vlachos , COO, CMM (Latsis group) presented "Challenges in promoting a safer operating environment on board" at the 2015 SAFETY4SEA Athens Forum. He referred to the challenges for a safer environment onboard stating that from a tanker's owner prospective accidents may occur due to either improper shipboard implementation by crew or the wrong way that messages from lessons to learnt are passed from top to bottom or numerous ineffective control mechanisms (e.g. audits) that fail to operate properly. He focused on providing guidance and answers on how to properly manage these three challenges.My presentation focuses on the Challenges for Promotion a Safer Operating Environment onboard from the Operators perspective.The tanker safety has improved vastly in the past decades following the full implementation of the ISM Code and the TMSA Requirements. If you see at the graphs showing the maritime casualties, the serious oil spills, the lives lost on board the last two decades, you will see a declining trend. But are we satisfied with the current situation? To be honest, the answer is no. We are not still satisfied because accidents continue to happen and occur. There are still system processes, behavior actions of people onboard and ashore which...

During Posidonia 2014 S4S : What was the biggest shipping industry change/challenge over the last 10-15 years ? How did it changed the industry and how did this affected shipping business? K.V.: I believe that the biggest shipping industry challenge over the last 10-15 years is the new environmental requirements for air emissions plus the introduction of the BWTS convention. These new requirements have led the most of the prudent owners to place new orders , that will be in full compliance with all those requirements while on the other side I believe that the rate of scrapping because of those requirements will be accelerated. S4S: What is your opinion on the growing momentum for ECO SHIPs : is it a step in the right direction or another bubble ? K.V.: I think that it is in the right direction but it needs a great cautious in order to avoid a compromise of the safety in favor of energy savings. S4S: Regarding Environmental Legislation, there is a tsunami of requirements entering into force over the next 5-10 years especially in way of Energy Efficiency, Market based Measures, Ballast and Fuels : How are you planning to finance these projects and...