Tag: Titanic

International safety regulations became far stricter following the disaster

Secretary-General Mr. Koji Sekimizu recalls the improvements to passenger ship safety IMO Secretary-General Koji Sekimizu has issued a video message ahead of the anniversary on Saturday (14 April) of the sinking of the Titanic, remembering all those who lost their lives in the tragic accident, recalling the improvements to passenger ship safety introduced as a result of that incident and acknowledging the need for continual improvement and enhancement of safety at sea.The text of the message is reproduced below."One hundred years ago today, 14th of April, Titanic struck an iceberg, while on her maiden voyage between Europe and the United States. Within a few hours, more than 1,500 people had perished in the freezing waters of the North Atlantic, transforming what was then the world's most celebrated ship into a name forever associated with disaster."The Titanic disaster prompted the major shipping nations of the world, at that time, to take decisive action to address maritime safety. It led to the adoption of the first international convention on safety of life at sea, SOLAS, in 1914."International Maritime Organization can trace its own roots back to the Titanic disaster. In its aftermath, the requirement for an international standard-setting body to oversee maritime ...

Secretary-General Mr. Koji Sekimizu recalls the improvements to passenger ship safety

Various marine safety improvements have resulted from the tragedy AMSA issues media release regarding the 100 years after the Titanic as follows:On the night of 14 April 1912, the RMS Titanic struck an iceberg in the Atlantic Ocean and sank early the next morning. It was a tragedy of immense proportions with more than 1500 lives lost, but out of this disaster came countless changes to maritime safety - changes that 100 years later continue to shape the maritime industry.The International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) was created as a direct result of the sinking of the Titanic. SOLAS is described by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) as being "generally regarded as the most important of all international treaties concerning the safety of merchant ships". One of the key advancements in maritime safety brought about following the sinking of the Titanic was in relation to the number and use of lifeboats.The Titanic did not have sufficient lifeboats for all passengers, a lifeboat drill was not conducted, nor did the crew have adequate training in loading and lowering the lifeboats. These issues are all addressed in SOLAS, with minimum requirements specified. Australia is a signatory to SOLAS ...

Are icebergs really still a danger? We've painted them, tagged them, bombed them, monitored them with radar and watched them from space - but icebergs like the one that sank the Titanic are still a threat to ships today.Scientists say that despite a century of technological gains, ships rely heavily on a detection method as old and as fallible as sailing itself ... the eyeball."Icebergs are very dangerous objects because they drift, they are not stationary, and in higher wave conditions they can be masked or hidden from a ship's radar. That's why they are still a danger today," says Michael Hicks of the International Ice Patrol (IIP).Icebergs can be stealthy leviathans, veiled by rough seas, fog or low light."There are still invisible threats," says Hicks.The odds of hitting an iceberg today are about one in 2000 - twice as remote as they were in April 1912 when the greatest ship of its time took 1514 people to a watery grave, estimates Brian Hill, a specialist with Canada's National Research Council (NRC).On average two iceberg collisions occur each year, and a near-disaster involving a cruise ship in 2007 showed that an unsinkable vessel has yet to be built.Formed in 1913, ...

Director-General calls for remembrance and protection The Convention applies to all traces of human existence having a cultural, historical or archaeological character which have been under water for at least 100 years. Thus, 15 April 2012 marks the moment when the Titanic wreckage will be protected under the Convention.The Convention on the Protection of the Underwater Cultural Heritage was adopted by the UNESCO General Conference on 2 November 2001. It contains basic principles for the protection of underwater cultural heritage, a detailed State cooperation system, and widely recognized practical rules for archaeological work on submerged sites. The Convention focuses on preservation and State cooperation, but does not regulate the ownership of wrecks nor does it redefine maritime zones.The Convention applies to all traces of human existence having a cultural, historical or archaeological character which have been under water for at least 100 years. Thus, 15 April 2012 marks the moment when the Titanic wreckage will be protected under the convention.This landmark legal instrument is the international community's response to the destruction of submerged archaeological sites by commercial treasure-hunters. It also reflects the growing recognition of the need to ensure the same protection to ancient shipwrecks as that already accorded to ...

The cruise ship industry continues to face its share of challenges relating to safety They're 100 years apart but key moments are remarkably similar - a ship taking on water, passengers fleeing their cabins in a panic, widespread confusion over how to best evacuate a vessel in crisis.One ship hit an iceberg, the other rammed into a rocky reef. Both drew collective disbelief at the loss of life at the time.More than 1,500 people died when the Titanic sank in 1912. A century later, 32 were killed when a luxury cruise ship, the Costa Concordia, was shipwrecked off the Tuscan coast in January. The number of victims in the 2012 incident pales in comparison, but it was a wakeup call for many who believed large-scale ocean disasters were a phenomenon of the past.Looking back at a century of marine innovation since the Titanic, observers agree that while what's arguably the most famous ocean disaster triggered many changes at sea, the prevalence of human error is one of its most lasting legacies."It's not a question of building better ships or building better technology. The fact is people make mistakes," says Joe Scanlon, who has been researching disasters for years and directs ...

Not a re-enactment It is not the way most 15-year-olds would choose to spend the Easter holidays. But by the time David Free found himself at Southampton docks on Sunday morning wearing a paisley cravat, an Edwardian tailcoat and a look of cheerful resignation, he had made his peace with the idea of spending half-term cheek-by-jowl on a cruise ship with the world's biggest Titanic enthusiasts."The kids weren't keen when I booked it three years ago - we think they're three of only seven children on board - but they've come round," admitted his mum, Jaki, 41, who was dressed in a spectacular blue hat and a floor-length striped skirt suit: a splendidreplica of the "boarding dress" worn by Kate Winslet when she stepped aboard James Cameron's Titanic in the 1997 film.Her outfit, and most of the garb being sported by David, her two other children (aged five and 10), her husband and his parents, were made especially for what all of the family were referring to as a "trip of a lifetime".David said he was happy to be among the 1,309 people embarking on the 12-night Titanic memorial cruise - and not just because it meant he got an ...

Due to the many lessons that have been learned World-leading ship science expert, Professor Ajit Shenoi, says that a seafaring tragedy on the scale of the Titanic disaster is unlikely to happen again.Professor Shenoi, who is the Director of the Southampton Marine and Maritime Institute at the University of Southampton, believes this is due to the many lessons that have been learned as a result of the tragedy 100 years ago."A detailed Board of Trade inquiry set up after the tragedy identified that the reasons behind the Titanic's sinking and the huge loss of life could be categorised under two headings," Professor Shenoi explains."Firstly, they relate to crew training and capabilities, as well as better communications and management on board ships, with clear allocations of responsibilities and regular checks on the actions and performance of crew. Secondly, they relate to the technology, whether it be the provision of lifeboats and life rafts, hull construction material and methods or watertight compartmentation."Professor Shenoi believes that the lessons learned from the disaster have been invaluable in ensuring that modern seafaring remains safe, and that when accidents do happen, lives are less likely to be lost."There are several lessons learned from the Titanic disaster ...

James Cameron and his team pull together a new CGI of how they believe the TItanic sank