While talking at the first SAFET4SEA Conference in Singapore, Mr. David Foo, Director (Port Systems), MPA Singapore, revealed that human element remains a major concern for safety and he provided an update on the ongoing efforts to address the human element, as well as share new initiatives and ideas on how MPA seeks to address the issue.
IMO MSC 100 completed its milestone 100th session on 7 December. MSC 100 had a busy agenda encompassing maritime autonomous surface ships, fatigue guidance for seafarers, polar shipping, goal-based standards and of course the 2020 sulphur cap.
The sinking of the container ship ‘El Faro’ in October 2015, claiming the title of one of the biggest marine tragedies in the recent history of US, was largely attributed to the Captain’s wrong assessment of the conditions. Anastasios Chrysikopoulos, Chief Officer at Maran Dry Management Inc. analyzed the Captain’s actions which identified human error as the key lesson to be learned from the El Faro loss.
Capt. Khan, who is particularly passionate about the topics of seafarer safety and wellness, is excited to work for Wallem, an organization which supports seafarers to perform every voyage safely and efficiently without losing focus on their wellbeing.
During his presentation at the last SAFETY4SEA Conference in Athens, Capt. Yves Vandenborn, Director of Loss Prevention, The Standard Club, noted that seafarer resilience can be improved through enhanced training regimes focused on realism, putting emphasis on additional experience.
Rolls-Royce and Intel revealed plans for collaboration on designs for sophisticated intelligent shipping systems to make commercial shipping safer. With a focus on safety, new ships will have systems with the same technology found in smart cities, autonomous cars and drones.
SAFETY4SEA ran a quick poll to sense what people from the maritime world believe regarding autonomous ships and the importance of the presence of crew onboard. Interestingly, only 10% find the presence of crew onboard vessels inessential, and just 6% find it optional.
The North P&I Club shared an insight discussing autonomous cargo systems as a means to address the oft-blamed ‘human error’ in accident reports. The Club suggests that linked ESD systems should be used for oil and chemical transfers, including ship-to-ship transfers.
IMarEST issued a survey on a number of issues surrounding the adoption of remote and autonomous technology in shipping. The report shows it is very likely that the adoption will proceed on a sector by sector basis, but it is still unclear as to the justifications for the business case for each of these sectors in terms of full adoption.
Capt. Kinsey, who is one of the lead authors of the ‘Safety & Shipping Review’ by Allianz, notes that although there is a significant improvement in terms of maritime safety, there is still need to address the ‘culture of risk taking’ in the industry.
