Accidents on ships under scrutiny as InterManager submits statistics to IMO

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, taking 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 has used a variety of verified data feeds to obtain this information on accidents onboard ships. The Association 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). InterManager comments: “It would be markedly beneficial to all analyses if this unwelcome lag could be decreased, or indeed eliminated.” 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.

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.

InterManager strongly recommends that categories of specific operations – such as enclosed space, fall, personal transfer, lifeboat, mooring and other – be included in the data collection database of accidents by GISIS, Flag States, other industry organisations, including shipping companies. This will assist regulators to review procedures, improve safety and minimise accidents.

Captain Kuba Szymanski, InterManager Secretary General, said: “Safety is very important to InterManager members and developing an effective safety culture is one of the central pillars of our General Principles of Conduct and Action. Collating these statistics on behalf of the industry enables us to proactively assist on a number of core safety issues and we are pleased that the IMO and other industry stakeholders are making use of them to protect the lives of seafarers.”