As part of its Remember Naka-no-Se Campaign, Japanese shipping company NYK conducted on 1 August a crisis-response drill based on the scenario of a serious accident occurring on an NYK-owned LNG carrier. The campaign is conducted from 1 July to the end of August every year, drawing on the lessons learned from the ‘Diamond Grace’ oil spill, to encourage all NYK Group members to bear in mind the importance of safe operations.
To remind, the crude oil tanker ‘Diamond Grace’ ran aground on 2 July 1997, releasing about 1,550kl in the Tokyo Bay and mobilizing more than 130 ships for the clan up efforts.
Cooperation from the Maritime Bureau within Japan’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT), the 3rd Regional Coast Guard Headquarters of Japan, the Maritime Disaster Prevention Center (MDPC), and related parties enabled this drill to be realistic and practical as the participants reviewed their possible response to a significant accident involving an LNG carrier and examined measures with one another.
Under the drill scenario, a rudder failure occurred while the LNG carrier was sailing to the north of Tokyo Bay, and the ship collided with a container ship that was sailing to the south. The LNG carrier lost control as it took in water from the damaged area. As such, NYK:
- set up a crisis-management headquarters upon receiving an urgent report from the LNG carrier’s ship-management company about the accident.
- reported information about the accident to MLIT’s Maritime Bureau, the Japan Coast Guard, and related parties.
- considered how to control the inflammable gas and rescue the injured by coordinating with MLIT, the Japan Coast Guard, the MDPC, and related parties.
- made press releases as the situation progressed and held a mock press conference where Hitoshi Nagasawa, NYK representative director and executive vice-president corporate officer, and Tomoyuki Koyama, NYK managing corporate officer, explained the accident to the press.
Crisis management has risen as an important point of interest for businesses, including shipping, as the traditional rules with regards to the press and media are transforming.
