InterManager, the international trade association for the shipmanagement sector, has launched a campaign to stimulate seafarers to think about safety issues when working in enclosed spaces and encourage them to identify and share measures which they believe would reduce risks.
InterManager announced the campaign during the Crew Connect event in Manila, Philippines.
Captain Kuba Szymanski, InterManager Secretary General, said:
The shipping industry has produced a wealth of rules, procedures, guidelines, leaflets etc concerned with the risks of working in enclosed spaces aboard vessels and yet seafarers are still dying while engaged in these activities. We want to hear from the seafarers themselves to find out why fatal mistakes are still being made? Are we missing a trick here? Is there something we haven’t taken into consideration?
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InterManager aims to eradicate or minimise unnecessary risks to life by seeking opinions from the people working in enclosed spaces. Capt Szymanski explained that often seafarers are considered to be part of the problem. InterManager is encouraging them to be part of the solution by sharing their experiences and points of view.
Please tell us what you think is the best solution? Is there a simple, user friendly procedure, change or technology gadget which would be universally beneficial for colleagues working in enclosed spaces?
Captain Kuba Szymanski encouraged crew members to answer.
According to the IMO, enclosed spaces have limited openings for entry and exit, inadequate ventilation, or a design not intended for continuous worker occupancy.
Examples of enclosed spaces include:
- Cargo spaces;
- Double bottoms;
- Fuel tanks;
- Ballast tanks;
- Cargo pump-rooms;
- Compressor rooms;
- Chain lockers.
For this reason, InterManager established a committee to examine seafarers responses in order to produce industry guidelines and share best practices. Captain Kuba Szymanski also requested ship operators to encourage their crew members to take part in the campaign.
Responses should be received by 1st January 2019.
