Maritime Safety

Safety in the maritime environment is paramount. The primary responsibilities of a ship’s master is safety of life, safety of the ship and safety of the marine environment. The shipping industry sees safety as both generated by a responsibility to the ship’s crew as well as the marine environment. Further, they have a great interest in ensuring that ships and cargoes arrive safely as they have a great deal of money tied up in them. It is in no one’s interest for a ship to sink, lives to be lost and the environment damaged.

The Headquarters of the International Maritime Organization

Shipping is one of the most heavily regulated industries in the world. International instruments adopted by IMO dictate the standards. The most important international convention addressing ship safety is the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS), the first version of which was adopted in 1914 in the wake of the Titanic disaster. The version in force today is known as SOLAS, 1974, as amended, and it has been amended over the years to keep it up to date.

The responsibility for compliance with these regulations lies ultimately with the owner of the ship. To ensure that they do comply, ships are regularly inspected by the flag state, the insurers, the classification society, the port state and the cargo owners. The owners of ships that do not comply may be fined, have their ships detained or have the ship’s certification removed from them. All of which carry serious financial penalties. Further, any ship that has been found in the past to have failed an inspection will experience higher insurance costs, loss of earnings and an increased inspection regime.

The seafarers crewing the ships are all required to have undergone internationally recognised training courses. They are well trained and experienced people who are backed up by some of the most advanced technology to ensure the safe navigation of ships. This is just part of the chain of responsibility.