LONDON, July 7 -- The government of the United Kingdom issued the following news:
Every year, Maritime Safety Week gives the industry a chance to pause and aska difficult question: are we really doing enough to keep seafarers safe? This year, I want to focus on safety management systems(SMS)and the importance of closing the gap betweensafety in theory and safety in practice.
Athorough and comprehensiveSMS is one of the most powerful tools available tomariners. Required under international law by the IMO, an SMS sets out procedures,processesand policies,guiding crews through routine operations and, critically,identifyingrisks and setting out how to manage them. Done properly, emergency response procedures areplanned in advance, so that when a crisis strikes, nothing is left to chance.
But an SMS is only as good as its implementation. Too often, our investigations reveal a troubling pattern. Often SMS have failed to prevent an accident because they had not fully identified all the operational hazards. We have also seen examples where SMS were seen as a compliance exercise and were filed away rather than used as a way to engage staff in working safely. An SMS should be a living document that is regularly reviewed and updated. Senior leadership engagement with the SMS is essential because crews take their cue from management.
In particular, the safety learning uncovered during our investigation into a fatal accident on board Laureline bears repeating.
Anableseamanwas fatally injured on board the roll-on/roll-off cargo vessel Laureline when he was crushed between the rear of a moving trailer and the vessel's structure. Laureline was alongside at Purfleet, England, loading and discharging trailers using the terminal's tugs under the direction of the ship's crew. One of the two ableseamenwho were working on the vehicle deck passed behind a trailer while it was being loaded,likely assumingthat the tug driver had completed manoeuvring the trailer. Unaware of the able seamen's position, the tug driver reversed the trailer again to realign it. The able seaman was crushed between the trailer and the vessel's structure, causing fatal injuries.
Ourinvestigation found that the vessel management company's new vehicle deck cargo operations safety procedure was not well understood by the vehicle deck crew and that they routinely entered the defined danger zone around manoeuvring vehicles and trailers. The lack of understanding highlighted weaknesses in the training and implementation of the new procedure, and that the tug driver's knowledge of danger zones and the requirement to stop when a crew member was out of sight did not align with their actual working practices.
These procedurallapses led totragedy: aseafarerlost his life carrying out a routine task.The MAIBreportcommentedthatthis accident wasa stark reminder that procedural controls alone are not sufficient to protect workers.
ThisMaritime Safety Week we are urging all vessel operators,regardless of your sector, size, or vessel type,tothinkcarefullyabout your SMSand answer these questions honestly:
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Is it comprehensive? Have youidentifiedandfullymitigated all potential risks?
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Does your SMSreflectyour operations?Isit specific toyourvessel?
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Has it been briefed? Do yourcrew have a detailed understanding ofsafe working methods? Do they knowwhat they should do in an emergency and have you doneregulardrills?
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Does it reflect real-life working? Have you conducted management assurance to ensure that the working practices detailed in the SMS are what crew are actually doing on board?
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Is it regularly reviewed? Does your SMS reflect lessons learned from near misses and incidents, both on your vessel and across the industry?
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