work in this area as being perhaps the most influential.


The International Safety Management Code, for example, provides an international standard for the safe management and operation of ships and for pollution prevention. And the International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers (STCW), sets minimum standards of competence for seafarers.


Another initiative that has had a big impact was the introduction of goal-based standards in our technical regulations. The ever increasing speed of computers has opened a new world for designers and researchers and, as a result, IMO Member Governments have started approaching safety from a completely new perspective – one that is goal and performance oriented, rather than the traditional prescriptive approach.


Prescriptive regulations tend to be a representation of past experience and, as such, become less and less relevant over time and can hold back ship designers, who are technically innovative, from being able to properly address future design challenges. As a result, safety regulations need to be frequently updated to keep pace with lessons learned and the latest technologies.


Finalizing the Goal-based Ship Construction Standards for Bulk Carriers and Oil Tankers was the first step in that direction, establishing for the first time a genuine link between the ship construction rules of classification societies and the statutory rules adopted by IMO. This was not only followed by the Polar and IGF Codes, both written in goal-based style, but also used for the review of the SOLAS Convention.


Mission to Argentina, 5-7th November 2013.


Q 6. Clearly working at sea remains one of the most dangerous professions and almost on a daily basis, one reads about lives being lost at sea, or as a direct result of shipping. What more can IMO do to help to reduce the number of deaths at sea and in the wider shipping sector?


A. Shipping is already subject to a very comprehensive framework of IMO regulations, guidance and best practices designed to make it safer for both seafarers and passengers. As mentioned previously, there is almost no technical aspect of ship design and operation that is not covered. So, looking ahead, the emphasis will be firmly on effectively implementing and complying with this existing regulatory framework rather than developing new measures.


The human element is a complex, multi-dimensional issue that affects maritime safety and marine environmental protection and is always borne in mind when new regulations are developed. It involves the entire spectrum of human activities performed by ships’ crews, shore based management, regulatory bodies, recognized organizations, shipyards, legislators, and other relevant parties, all of whom need to cooperate to address human element issues effectively.


A “safety culture” gives appropriate priority to safety and realises that safety has to be managed like other areas of the business. For the shipping industry, it is in the professionalism of seafarers that the safety culture must take root. That culture is more than merely avoiding accidents or even reducing the number of accidents, although these are likely to be the most apparent measures of success. In terms of shipboard operations, it is to do the right thing at the right time in response to normal and emergency situations. The quality and effectiveness of that training will play a significant part in determining the attitude and performance - the professionalism - the seafarer will subsequently demonstrate in his, or her, work. And the attitude adopted will, in turn, be shaped to a large degree by the ‘culture’ of the shipping company.


One area in which some real progress could be made is in the fishing sector. Fishing is one of the most dangerous professions in the world, yet the international convention developed by IMO to address fishing vessel safety has not received sufficient ratification to enter into force. IMO is currently undertaking a series of seminars and workshops around the world to encourage ratification and thereby enable the convention to enter into force.


The Report • March 2018 • Issue 83 | 35


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