Vessel incidents tend to be located along the coastline, with the Gulf of Guinea, the South China Sea, the Gulf of Oman and the western Indian coast in the Arabian Sea. Additionally, fatigue and the crisis of crew turnover likely played a significant role in the increase in overall ship incidents.
DISTRESS CALLS BY VESSEL TYPE
FISHING VESSELS
BULK CARRIERS
OPINION
EMBED SAFETY IN THE RUSH TO DIGITALISATION
OLIVIER DELTEIL SEARCH AND
In the EU, such networks seem to operate at lower frequencies than in the US, while in France we are creating “buffer zones”. At the Norwegian Coastal Administration we operate and develop digital and maritime services to ensure safer and more efficient navigation for ships along the coast and ports. Our goal is to make Norway's coastal and maritime areas the safest in the world.
TROND SKI
We continue to see sea ice shrinking, opening up new areas for ships, especially fishing and cruise ships. These, often large cruise ships with many passengers on board, sail at times of the year when vessels do not normally sail.
NAVAREA
COORDINATOR, NORWEGIAN
ADMINISTRATION, CHAIR OF
THE IMO EGC COORDINATING
DATA INTEGRITY IS ESSENTIAL FOR SAFE SHIPPING
This may increase the likelihood of them encountering more extreme weather, especially as the weather in the Northern atmosphere can change very quickly. We have seen a few incidents in recent years, such as the Viking Sky, that demonstrate this scenario. In 2010, we began expanding the service to the Arctic to ensure that reliable safety alerts can be issued in a timely manner to prevent incidents.
RELIABLE INFORMATION
GENERAL CARGO
OFFSHORE
While we saw fewer incidents involving leisure vessels during the peak of COVID-19, merchant shipping continued to operate, as did our search and rescue (SAR) services. At the International Maritime Rescue Federation (IMRF), we have produced guidelines for SAR organizations that have enabled them (regardless of available resources) to provide a safe and effective rescue service despite the risks posed by COVID-19. The use of online tools that have been increasingly tested during COVID-19 will undoubtedly continue.
A MARITIME FAMILY
The past few years have been atypical and the pandemic has taught us a lot. The maritime industry, like everyone else, will have to make the best of what we learned during the pandemic as we watch. However, there will be a need to return to do some essential safety training in person, to make up for the loss of hands-on experience that cannot always be replicated digitally.
THERESA CROSSLEY
CEO, INTERNATIONAL MARITIME RESCUE FEDERATION
LESSONS IN RESILIENCE AND RECOVERY FROM COVID-19
TUGS
CONTAINER SHIPS
GAS CARRIERS
CONTAINER SHIPS
However, in our experience, the marine industry typically does not understand the sustainability benefits of seafarers, or the clear return on investment it can provide. Based on current incident figures from our experience in the marine medical industry, we hypothesized what effect greater measures to protect crew welfare would have on the industry as a whole. Data suggests that looking after the physical and mental health of the crew provides tremendous savings in ship diversion (1/3) and serious medical claims (75%).
PETER HULT
You will see a reduction in safety incidents and downtime if you maintain the good physical and mental health of your seafarers. Sustainability statement for the maritime industry to adopt best practices for, and on behalf of, those who work at sea and their loved ones ashore. These include, among others, the need for companies to provide quality education, nutrition, health care, insurance, mental health support, environmental safety, economic security and freedom from abuse and harassment.
CEO, VIKAND
Ask a Chief Financial Officer why he or she invests in engine maintenance and the answer will be: preventing downtime or asset loss. We believe this framework, based on the UN Sustainable Development Goals, can help our industry thrive and become self-sustaining. Ultimately, to reap the benefits of seafarer human sustainability, shipping must make incremental improvements that put crews and their crews in a better place.
IMPROVE CREW WELLBEING AND REAP SAFETY BENEFITS
Analyzing the data shows that there is a pattern of the same types of incidents that repeat themselves over and over again. That's why in my work at some of the largest and most demanding oil and gas companies in the world, we have been able to improve business performance through safety. Together in Safety' is made up of leaders and experts that include all major maritime industry groups, including the International Chamber of Maritime Affairs, BIMCO, OCIMF, Intertanko, Intercargo, Interferry, Cruise Liners International and the World Shipping Council, as well as some of the world's largest shipping companies and insurance companies, classification societies and state representatives.
DR GRAHAEME HENDERSON
During my career around the world, I have witnessed a number of terrible incidents and we must be clear that the impact does not last a day, a month or a year, but a lifetime and longer. To stop these unnecessary incidents, we must not view safety as an add-on to the business, but instead as the solid foundation that supports every activity in the business. The reason is that the same leadership qualities that drive great safety performance also drive great business performance.
OBE, CHAIR OF ‘TOGETHER IN SAFETY’
Safety performance in our industry has fallen to an unacceptable level in recent years. Seafarers die and are seriously injured, there is property damage and environmental impact, costing the industry both financially and reputationally. It is often said that if you have the right security, you will get everything right.
WORKING ‘TOGETHER IN SAFETY’
After a detailed analysis of shipping industry data, we identified that there are fourteen recurring types of major incidents. If the shipping industry could eradicate just a small number of types of major incidents, it would have a dramatic impact on improving safety performance in terms of fatal and serious injuries to seafarers, costly damage to property and significant environmental impacts. It is not about more regulations, but about aligning the company safety program with 'Together in Safety' and putting safety at the center of everything you do.
SPECIALIST VESSELS
LEISURE VESSELS
CAR CARRIERS
PASSENGER SHIPS
INCIDENTS RECORDED BY
RACHEL ARNOLD
CHIEF OFFICER, CRUISE SECTOR
CRUISE CONTROL: MINIMISING RISKS TO CREW AND PASSENGERS
DISTRESS CALLS BY SHIPYARD
In addition, demand for bulk carriers and container ships has resulted in a (possibly temporary) increase in the number of tier one yards, especially among yards in China and Japan. Clarksons Research has indicated that there has been a wave of closures in the wake of the 2008 recession, causing the total number of shipyards worldwide to fall from 934 in 2009 to 358 in July 2017. As of 2021, there are 275 active yards worldwide, of which 71 of which are classified as first tier, accounting for approximately 85% of the global order book and 60% of global yard capacity.
DISTRESS CALLS BY CLASS SOCIETY
We see that the number of satellites and communication devices put into orbit is increasing worldwide. This requires greater coordination on our part and the need for us to provide guidance to those authorities that broadcast information about the ideal amount that we, and ultimately, seafarers need. Just as we use map apps on our mobile devices to get the latest information about accidents or congestion on our routes, the ability to visualize navigational alerts on an electronic map will provide a similar benefit.
CHRISTOPHER JANUS
BRANCH CHIEF, MARITIME SAFETY
INTELLIGENCE AGENCY,
EMBRACE CURRENT TECHNOLOGY SOLUTIONS TO IMPROVE SAFETY
This new navigation warning standard, S-124, is already in development by the International Hydrographic Organization (IHO) as part of its S-100 Universal Hydrographic Data Model and should be available from 2026. As we move forward to adopt even more autonomous systems on board vessels and ultimately towards Maritime Autonomous Surface Ships (MASS), we must consider how this will change the needs for navigational warnings. Last year, NGA sent a navigational warning to notify mariners of the autonomous vessel Mahi 2's Atlantic crossing, the first such navigational warning for an autonomous vessel.
DISTRESS CALLS BY FLAG STATE
DISTRESS CALLS BY YEAR OF BUILD
It is also worth noting that older vessels often operate closer to shore, in areas that are more likely to experience piracy attacks and where more extreme weather occurs. As noted in Inmarsat's 2021 Future of Maritime Safety Report, the economic downturn in 2008 and the subsequent maritime recession in 2016 affected not only shipyards, but also the maintenance and upkeep of vessels during this process. It is possible to suggest that the combination of the current financial downturn in certain sectors, exacerbated by the pandemic, as well as market uncertainty about industry-leading decarbonisation systems, could result in vessels being retired earlier than the previous industry average.
CARGOES
I have worked on both bulk carriers and general cargo ships, which have slightly different risks. Bulk carriers in cargo operations operate around the clock, unlike general cargo ships, which often have off-hours when the shore crew can rest. I worked on a 139 meter long ship with two cranes and it required intense effort to ballast and de-ballast during cargo operations.
YRHEN BERNARD
ORDINARY SEAFARER
MENTAL STATE MEANS MORE THAN SEA STATE IN SHIP SAFETY
The mental health of seafarers has been hit hard with all the chaos in the world, especially during the pandemic. We need a policy framework to minimize seafarer abuse, from the top level of company management to the culture on board individual ships. Trials of autonomous ships and alternative fuels are beginning, and we need to equip all seafarers and crews ashore with the necessary skills to operate and troubleshoot.
CONCLUSION
The analysis examines vessel distress signal data collected by Inmarsat between 2018 and 2021 to assess safety issues of concern to the maritime industry. The report expands on information made available in the Future of Maritime Security 2021 report, which analyzed incidents reported to Inmarsat between 2018-2020. Views were obtained from relevant industry representatives and mariners in relation to specific sectors, ensuring that this report not only provides its readers with a comprehensive analysis of the data, but also indicates how this information fits with the current understanding of the marine industry.
DATA GATHERING FOR ANALYSIS
The report categorizes this data based on grouped vessel types (see page 39 for further information on these categories) and analyzes it primarily in relation to vessel type, incident numbers and location.
VESSEL GROUPING METHODS
VESSEL INDEX
As described in the methodology section, the report is based on Inmarsat's internal GMDSS data, which are accurate to the best of our knowledge. The report also contains opinions provided by third parties which may not reflect the views of Inmarsat. The Inmarsat LOGO and all other Inmarsat trademarks in this document are owned by Inmarsat Global Limited.
CONTACT
