Britannia P&I Club has examined impacts and forms of severe weather at sea, especially due to climate change, highlighting best practices for the maritime industry to mitigate the risks.
According to Britannia, it is essential to continually recognise and respond to changing risks exposure, as shipowners and operators may face emerging or evolving risks beyond their previous experience due to climate change. A local operator familiar with severe weather may still need to adapt to new threats, such as tropical storms in an unfamiliar operational area. This underscores the importance of maintaining systematic risk reviews and promoting knowledge sharing to proactively identify hazards and assess risks. Building resilience in advance through a structured, business-relevant approach is crucial to ensuring preparedness and effective risk mitigation.
Key actions that shipowners, operators, and seafarers should consider to track the effects of climate change and maintain the necessary risk perception may be summarised as follows:
Adapt to regulatory changes
Regulatory changes should be monitored, and participation in industry workgroups and other settings is encouraged to maintain awareness of evolving/emerging risks and forthcoming regulatory measures.
Industry best practice
Best industry practices relevant to severe weather should be tracked and implemented. Participation in a relevant management self-assessment programme is recommended, using it to analyse and apply best practice guidance from other industry stakeholders.
Optimise voyage planning, route optimisation and operations
Advanced weather forecasting tools, routeing software and services, and real-time monitoring systems should be utilised. Policies and procedures should be reviewed to avoid or limit exposure in high-risk areas prone to severe weather. Where necessary, flexible scheduling and alternative routes should be considered to minimise exposure to severe weather hazards.
Innovation and research
Climate resilience considerations should be incorporated into ship design, construction, and operation. In addition to ship designs that withstand severe weather events (stability and buoyancy, structural integrity, cargo securing, redundant systems and backup power, etc.), improved ship routeing and monitoring, weather forecasting, and cargo loss prevention should be prioritised. Investment in research and innovation initiatives is encouraged to develop and deploy new technologies, materials, and solutions for enhancing resilience to climate change and severe weather.
Information and communication
Continuous monitoring of emerging risks associated with extreme weather events is essential, along with tracking projections applicable to specific trading areas. Open communication and knowledge sharing between ships and shore management should be promoted to support informed decision-making in response to evolving/emerging risks related to severe weather.
Training and resources
Seafarers must be equipped with the necessary knowledge and resources to manage evolving risks. Training, education, and drills should be provided to enhance preparedness and response capabilities during severe weather events. Feedback from seafarers should be utilised to improve engagement, fostering a culture of teamwork and continuous improvement.
Effective risk management
Risk assessments for key operations should be regularly reviewed and updated as required. Available technology should be leveraged to support risk mitigation onboard ships. A diversified approach to risk management is recommended, incorporating safety management, operational strategies, and insurance-based measures to mitigate evolving/emerging risks.
Invest in vessel resilience
Opportunities for upgrades, retrofits, and enhancements should be explored to improve resilience to severe weather-related risks. This may include reinforcing hull structures, improving cargo stowage and securing, implementing appropriate technical equipment, and installing enhanced weather monitoring systems.
