Chamber’s leader My seafaring past will help, says new head of UK owners’ body 19
All under control PSC chief promises new inspection focus on human factors 24-25
NL nieuws Twee pagina’s met nieuws uit Nederland 36-37
Volume 47 | Number 04 | April 2014 | £3.50 €3.70
Leading from the front... AOprey poses on the bulbous bow of
Queen Mary 2 master Captain Kevin
the Cunard vessel off the coast of Bali last month as part of a series of celebrations to mark the ship’s 10th birthday. The dramatic shot was taken as the ship sailed towards Sydney during a round-the-world cruise that is due to finish in Southampton in May, with two safety craft standing by while the film crew photographed the master from various angles. ‘When I was left alone on the bulb everything was very quiet,’ said Capt Oprey. ‘It was almost like an eerie silence. I was actually facing ahead at this stage and couldn’t really see what was behind me. ‘In years to come I will be very proud of the picture’, he added, ‘but the important thing is that it is the ship that counts.’ g Go the the Nautilus website — www. nautilusint.org — to see a behind-thescenes video of how the pictures were taken. Picture: James Morgan
Insurers warn of new safety risks Nautilus backs concerns over competence shortfalls as report highlights ‘emerging challenges’
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Shortages of skilled and experienced seafarers are posing a growing safety risk as ships get larger and more sophisticated, insurers warned last month. The annual safety and shipping review published by the Allianz insurance group warns of ‘new risks and challenges’ emerging around crew safety and training — and most notably associated with the takeup of alternative fuels and the growth of ‘mega-ships’. It also expresses particular concern about a rise in engine damage linked to cat fines and ‘a lack of knowledge on proper handling for the grades of fuel available today’. The Allianz alert was echoed by the classification society Lloyd’s Register as it released a report on the future of marine fuel, with a warning about the competence and training issues arising from the move to ‘greener’ fuels — including LNG and hydrogen. Nautilus said the concerns should serve as a wake-up call to the industry. ‘There have been countless warnings about the skills
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shortage in recent years,’ said general secretary Mark Dickinson. ‘However, despite all the evidence there has been very limited action to increase training to the levels required. ‘What is clear from the Allianz and LR reports is that the complex technology and systems now being used onboard, coupled with the scale of the risk presented by the new generation of mega-ships, are ramping up the demand for highly skilled and well-trained seafarers. ‘If the industry is serious about maintaining high safety standards, it also needs to be equally serious about the recruitment and retention of the professionals it requires for that,’ he added. On the plus side, the Allianz review notes a 20% reduction in ship losses last year — with the total of 94 reported worldwide being only the second time in the past 12 years that the figure has been below 100. But Allianz pointed to 21 key risks to the future safety of shipping, including: z eco ships z alternative fuels z increasing ship sizes
z human error z skill shortages z lack of standardised training z reduced crewing numbers z crew fatigue It said the first 24,000TEU containerships could be in service around 2018 — raising the prospect of a total insurance liability for a single vessel of more than US$700m. Increasing ship sizes are also posing huge salvage challenges, the report adds, with ‘staggering’ timescales involved in removing thousands of containers. Pointing out that the total salvage costs for the Costa Concordia are likely to top $2bn, it warns that while the capability to handle huge accidents may exist, the potential financial burdens are immense. Dr Sven Gerhard, of Allianz Global Corporate and Specialty (AGCS), said there was a risk that such vessels could block access to port and terminal accesses and added: ‘The large loss potential has increased for events which are not extraordinary on these big ships, and these are uncharted waters for salvors.’
Allianz said it was worried that machinery damage continues to be the cause of the majority of losses on marine insurance and it warned that this trend is set to increase — and the growing use of low-sulphur fuels is likely to exacerbate the problem of cat fines. ‘The fear is that we will see more and more cat fines problems and more damaged engines,’ said Captain Rahul Khanna, AGCS senior marine risk consultant. ‘Higher amounts of cat fines can be dealt with by experienced and competent engineers onboard the ships, but a lack of such engineers and a lack of training and awareness is also adding to the problem,’ he warned. The report also argues that another emerging risk for shipowners and ports is the growth in LNG and other alternative fuels. ‘The technology itself is not new; the concern is storing the LNG as a fuel and handling it onboard,’ Capt Khanna pointed out. ‘LNG expertise is not easily available — there needs to be a change in mindset and training.’ g LR future fuels study — see page 23.
Inside F Reporting lines
New head of the confidential incident reporting programme wants to breathe new life into the scheme — page 20-21 F Smart ships?
Satcoms company Inmarsat has launched an industry debate on the potential impact of the ‘industrial internet’ services to shipping — pages 26-27 F Writing winners
The pick of the entries from the Nautilus/Marine Society writing competition — pages 31-33
19/03/2014 18:10