Earlier today MAIB released the Annual Report for 2011 containing information for accident investigations during that period. According to the report there was a wide variety of accidents to merchant vessels investigated during 2011. For the second year in succession there were no UK registered ship losses and the number of accidents, as a ratio of the size of the fleet, was the lowest recorded by MAIB. The number of fatalities on UK registered vessels >100gt has risen slightly compared with 2010, but is still low, and the number of injuries to crew is at its lowest ever level. A further 8 seafarers lost their lives on foreign registered vessels while operating in UK waters, including 6 from the Cook Islands registered bulk carrier Swanland, which sank in heavy weather off the north Wales coast in November.
The number of fishing vessels lost, 24, is the highest number recorded by the MAIB since 2005. 71% of these were <15m length overall (loa) vessels while the remainder were 15-24m loa vessels. 8 fishermen lost their lives in 2011, compared with 5 in 2010. Again, the majority lost their lives on vessels that were <15m loa. If the safety record of this sector of the fishing industry is to improve, more focus is needed from all industry stakeholders on how to provide these fishermen with effective education and guidance on issues such as basic stability, watchkeeping, navigation and safe working practices. Additionally, the routine wearing of personal flotation devices when fishermen are working on the open deck would undoubtedly reduce the unnecessary loss of life that often occurs when someone goes overboard.
Some interesting information on accidents involving UK merchant vessels have been extracted from the report and are displayed below.
Merchant Vessels in Accidents by Nature of Accident and Vessel Category
Deaths and Injuries of MV Crew by Place
Deaths and Injuries of MV Crew by Rank
Deaths and Injuries of MV Crew by Injury
Source: MAIB 2011 Annual Report
Officer of the Watch 
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