The North P&I Club has published during the previous month a new loss prevention guide for watchkeepers on how to avoid collisions at sea. Designed specifically for use on ship’s bridges, it focuses on what the Club considers to be the most important ‘rules of the road’ in the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea 1972 (COLREGS).
Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, announced yesterday the launch of a campaign targeting all MOL-operated vessels, starting on October 1. “Forging ahead to become the world leader in safe operation” is a central theme in the midterm management plan “GEAR UP! MOL” which was formulated in April 2010. As part of these efforts, President Muto, executives, and other personnel will pay in-person visits to MOL-operated vessels to meet on-board employees and exchange information and opinions about prevention of incidents.
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.
A few days ago the Standard P&I Club issued a safety bulletin regarding Navigational Incidents and Collisions. The Standard P&I Club has investigated the number and cost of navigational incidents over the past ten years and the facts are alarming at many levels. In the past five years, there have been 85 claims of over $1m of which over 50% were directly related to navigational issues.
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
||||
Officer of the Watch 