InterManager issues call for industry-wide accident reporting
Accidents onboard ships are not decreasing, according to latest accident statistics submitted to the International Maritime Organization by InterManager.
The Association says the number of seafarers injured in falls has remained fairly consistent year on year, as has the number of injuries resulting from rescue and survival craft accidents. However, the casualty rate for enclosed space accidents has almost doubled, the Association warns. InterManager has submitted its figures, which span several decades, to the 10th session of the IMO’s Sub-Committee on Implementation of IMO Instruments which took place from 22nd to 26th July in London.
The Association’s submission provides information and analysis in support of InterManager’s information documents on enclosed space accidents (ranging from 1996 to 1 May 2024), fall accidents (from 2012 to 1 May 2024), and accidents involving rescue and survival craft (from 1980 to 1 May 2024).
InterManager notes there remains a significant lag between accident occurrence, its investigation, and the report being uploaded into the Marine Casualties and Incidents (MCI) module of the Global Integrated Shipping Information System (GISIS).
"It would be markedly beneficial to all analyses if this unwelcome lag could be decreased, or indeed eliminated," said InterManager.
Industry statistics are undermined due to lack of transparency and hesitation in sharing accidents. This is causing problems with accident reporting.
InterManager’s submission notes a number of accidents involving falls onboard ships are not being recorded within GISIS nor made available elsewhere, although these accidents are being openly reported and recorded on ship type-specific websites and within regional media. It also notes there have been a number of enclosed space accidents in ship repair yards which are not currently required to report to GISIS.
136 | ISSUE 109 | SEP 2024 | THE REPORT Captain Kuba Szymanski, InterManager Secretary General
InterManager’s submission to IMO reveals: Enclosed space accidents
The trend for the number of enclosed accidents occurring on an annual basis appears to have stabilised over the past few years with a noticeable dip during the global pandemic of 2021. However, when comparing 2022 and 2023, both of which saw 14 recorded enclosed space incidents, there was a marked increase in the number of actual casualties in 2023, compared to 2022, 34 as against 18. Thus, although the frequency of accidents remained fairly constant, the casualty rate almost doubled.
Of those who have lost their lives in enclosed space accidents where the rank or role has been stated, 66% currently come from what is considered to be the ships’ leadership team. (For statistical purposes, the ships’ leadership team comprises the master, chief engineer, chief officer and second engineer.) A further 6% of those who lost their lives were serving onboard the ship in a training role, which is defined in similar statistical terms as a cadet or a trainee.
In early June, InterManager submitted a paper to IMO, with “Lessons Learned and Safety Issues Identified from the Analysis of Marine Safety Investigation Reports“, regarding the alarming trend of deaths in enclosed spaces onboard ships. The submission presented detailed information regarding enclosed space accidents spanning from 1996 to 1 May 2024, specifically focusing on incidents of asphyxiation.
Fall accidents
The trend for fall accidents from, or onboard, ships for the past five-year period has remained consistent between 44 and 52 accidents per year, and the majority of casualties resulting from these accidents involved just a single person. Between 1 January and 1 May 2024 18 accidents were recorded within the GISIS.
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100 |
Page 101 |
Page 102 |
Page 103 |
Page 104 |
Page 105 |
Page 106 |
Page 107 |
Page 108 |
Page 109 |
Page 110 |
Page 111 |
Page 112 |
Page 113 |
Page 114 |
Page 115 |
Page 116 |
Page 117 |
Page 118 |
Page 119 |
Page 120 |
Page 121 |
Page 122 |
Page 123 |
Page 124 |
Page 125 |
Page 126 |
Page 127 |
Page 128 |
Page 129 |
Page 130 |
Page 131 |
Page 132 |
Page 133 |
Page 134 |
Page 135 |
Page 136 |
Page 137 |
Page 138 |
Page 139 |
Page 140 |
Page 141 |
Page 142 |
Page 143 |
Page 144 |
Page 145 |
Page 146 |
Page 147 |
Page 148
