Nautilus has called for further action to the law enforcement on substandard shipping in European waters following a UK Marine Accident Investigation Branch report on the loss of a cement carrier and its eight crew off Scotland in January 2015.
The MAIB concluded that the capsize of the Cyprus-flagged Cemfjord in ‘extraordinarily violent sea conditions’ was a predictable accident that could have been avoided, with the decision to enter the Pentland Firth rather than to seek shelter the result of poor passage planning and commercial pressures.
Investigators said the 31-year-old vessel had gone down in gale force winds and a strong, opposing tidal stream during a voyage from Denmark to the UK port of Runcorn with a 2,084 tonne cargo of cement.The MAIB found that the ship had been at sea with significant safety deficiencies related to its rescue boat launching arrangements and bilge pumping system. In the 13 months before the accident, the ship was found to have spent 54% of its time with exemptions from safety regulations — 40% of this related to lifeboat defects.”Cemfjord was at sea with significant safety shortcomings; there is no evidence that any consideration was given to delaying departure until these problems were fixed,”the report added.
Nautilus senior national secretary Allan Graveson said the report showed the ‘rotten underbelly’ of the shipping industry.
‘Given the damning findings of the investigation, the European Maritime Safety Agency needs to take substantive action to ensure that all ships sailing under member state flags are maintained to appropriate safety. The operation of such older tonnage is unfairly undermining good operators who run modern and environmentally sound ships,’ he added.
Source: Nautilus International
