Despite genuine progress, the shipping industry lags well behind many other industries when it comes to safety. About 800–900[ds_preview] people are involved in deadly accidents each year, taken commercial vessels alone. The crew fatality rate is still ten times higher than the current level in land-based industries in OECD countries. Thus the goal of DNV GL is a reduction of fatalities by 90% at no extra costs. »The maritime industry has not come as far yet as other industries have come,« safety expert Kay Erik Stokke said at the Innovation Day.
While the industry’s relatively high rate of fatalities and accidents can be attributed in part to risks associated with operations in challenging environments, the public has become increasingly critical of accidents that result in injury or loss of life. To improve its safety record, the industry must address a number of issues, DNV GL suggests.
First, the industry has allocated more resources to mitigate individual accident risk than major accident risk, which is rare but leads to far more serious consequences. Second, owners tend to place too much confidence in safety procedures, excluding focus on more complex, holistic safety methodologies. Third, the bridge remains mostly an autocratic work environment, one that hinders effective communication. Fourth, owners too often blame individuals for causing accidents, instead of looking at the underlying causes. And initially, the industry’s approach to safety has been reactive rather than proactive, re-enforcing an industry culture that relies on accidents to drive change, rather than focus on prevention.
One of the main suggestions for an improved risk management system is to install both preventing barriers to avoid or reduce the likelihood of a hazardous event as well as mitigating barriers to reduce the consequences of such an event.
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