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Behind every casualty and vessel total loss statistic are
seafarers that have lost their lives, been injured, or suffer
long-term physical or mental effects. While the number of reported
seafarer deaths dropped from 165 in 2015 to 55 in 2016, it rose to
112 in 2019 (figure 1 below) according to the inaugural State of Maritime Safety
report published by IHS Markit.
IHS Markit estimates that 400,000 seafarers work on merchant
cargo ships; 300,000 on passenger and cruise ships; and an
approximate 200,000 crew work on other types of vessels.
With the growing world fleet, the numbers of crew killed are
still high considering shipping's increased focus over the last
decade on the improvement of safety and environmental
performance.
While many of the major incidents that resulted in missing or
dead crew might be perceived as rare events, they point to larger
concerns that must be addressed. For example, far-reaching safety
concerns were found after the October 2015 sinking of the Jones Act
container ship El Faro, which resulted in the deaths of all 33 crew
members on board.
The NTSB released its report in 2018, which stated that the
likely cause for the accident was the master's decision to sail
into the path of Hurricane Joaquin, which suggests the captain
relied on outdated weather resources, the vessel operator's "weak"
safety culture, and poor implementation of bridge resource
management principles. The report noted technical problems with the
machinery design standards that led to the loss of lube oil suction
and vessel propulsion, as well as limited protection of the fire
mains from impact damage in the case of a cargo shift, which likely
led to the flooding of one of the holds.
Following this incident, the NTSB noted that the vessel's old,
open lifeboats were of little assistance in a hurricane, and did
not meet modern safety standards. Shortly after the report, the US
Coast Guard port state control regime ran a concentrated inspection
campaign that focused on open lifeboats fitted for emergency use
between 2 May 2018 and1 May 2019. The inspection covered 45
US-flagged vessels with 122 inspected open lifeboats, and
discovered 68 deficiencies on 35 of the lifeboats.
Moreover, the increase in extreme weather conditions over the
past five years has led the World Meteorological Organisation and
the IMO to hold their first joint symposium, 'Extreme Maritime
Weather: Towards Safety of Life at Sea and a Sustainable Blue
Economy', on 23-25 October 2019. Best practice and emergency
response was noted as a major factor given the risk of extreme
weather. As most seafarer fatalities have been at sea (310 reported
incidents between 2015 and 2019, see figure 2 below), this is a
timely concern.
Speaking at the symposium, Peter Hinchliffe, former secretary
general of the International Chamber of Shipping and the chair of
the Nautical Institute, noted that only 2,500 ships voluntarily
provide meteorological data out of an estimated total of nearly
80,000 active ships. There is a growing need for more shipowners
and operators to participate in voluntary met data sharing.
Vessel design remains a key issue in preventing crew deaths. In
2018, the International Bulk Terminals Association told the IMO
that at least 71 accidents had occurred between 1991 and 2018,
resulting in 106 deaths and many severely injured crew, while
carrying or handling solid bulk cargoes aboard ships. In 2018,
Intermanager conducted a three-month-long industry survey of 5,000
seafarers across 250 vessels. It found a perceived lack of
consideration of the needs of crew members during vessel design.
Respondents noted poor attention had been given to access areas,
and poor ventilation and ability to measure the atmosphere in
enclosed spaces.
Notably, the South China and the East Indies zones have the
highest overall number of recorded seafarer deaths (157 deaths) by
region (see figure 3 below). Most of these deaths occur while the
ship is on its voyage and at least 23 vessels were reported as a
total loss.
Meanwhile, there have been 118 seafarer deaths in restricted
waters and 30 in drydocks or shipyards. Russia, the Arctic, and
Bering Sea, which is second highest in terms of recorded
deaths.
Largely, these are as a consequence of fishing and trawling
incidents. These incidents have led to 64 of the 68 overall
reported deaths, with 63 vessels being reported as a total loss.
The East Mediterranean and Black Sea regions has 63 reported
deaths, with its numbers mostly split between ship that are en
route and those that are manoeuvring.
The State of Maritime Safety report
The inaugural report provides the shipping industry with a snapshot
of maritime safety over the past five years, 2015-19. The report
analyses IHS Markit data and explores vessel casualties and total
losses, crew fatalities, inspection and detention regimes, and
Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon (EPIRB) data.
Download your complimentary copy of the report here