1. Peter M Swift, MD INTERTANKO
SIMS The Human Element and Oil Shipping Safety Seoul 2 September 2010
Peter M Swift,
MD INTERTANKO

2. The Human Element and Oil Shipping Safety
SIMS 2010
The Human Element and Oil Shipping Safety
Introduction – INTERTANKO
Introduction – Oil Shipping
Oil Shipping – Safety
Human Element
A Happy ship is a Safer ship
Design
Operation
Seafarer Concerns

3. 300 + associate members: 260 + members operating ca. 3,100 ships
INTERTANKO Today
260 + members operating ca. 3,100 ships
> 75% of the independent oil tanker fleet and > 85% of the chemical carrier fleet
300 + associate members:
in oil and chemical tanker related businesses
[With strict membership criteria]
15 Committees – 5 Regional Panels
Principal Offices – London and Oslo
Representative Offices in US, Asia and Brussels
Observer Status at IMO, IOPC, UNFCCC, OECD and UNCTAD
International Association of Independent Tanker Owners

4. INTERTANKO’s Strategic Objectives
To develop and promote best practices in all sectors of the tanker industry, with owners and operators setting the example.
To be a positive and proactive influence with key stakeholders, developing policies and positions, harmonising a united industry voice, and engaging with policy and decision makers.
To profile and promote the tanker industry, communicating its role, strategic importance and social value.
To provide key services to Members, with customised advice, assistance and access to information, and enabling contact and communication between Members and with other stakeholders.

5. The world needs oil and oil tanker transportation
                                    
World Oil Consumption 3.8 billion ts
Transported by sea billion ts
> 60% transported by sea
                     

6. Oil shipping is safe 1000 ts spilt 1000 bn tonne miles trade
Accidental oil pollution from tankers
Based on ITOPF/Fearnleys

7. Oil shipping is reliable and environmentally responsible
With Goals aligned to those of the IMO

8. Oil shipping is cost effective
Oil price and freight rate – real and nominal
USD per barrel

9. Oil shipping is energy efficient
This car, weighing one tonne, uses 1 litre of fuel to move 20 kms
This oil tanker uses 1 litre of fuel to move one tonne of cargo 2,500 kms
more than twice as far as 20 years ago

10. BUT Oil shipping is not complacent – and is accustomed to being under the spotlight
Watched by:
Regulators
Politicians
Public
Licences to trade rigorously applied by:
Flag states
Classification Societies
Insurers
Charterers
Monitored by:
Coastal and Port states

11. Underpinned by sound freight markets
Oil Shipping Safety
Key components for safe oil shipping:
Practical legislation and regulation - implemented on a consistent basis worldwide
Well designed, constructed and maintained ships
Owners and management committed to quality and adherence to industry best practices and standards
Competent crews – properly trained, experienced and motivated
Underpinned by sound freight markets

12. Tanker Incidents and accidental pollution
Number incidents
Based on data from LMIU, ITOPF + others

13. Tanker incidents in 2009 The Human Element is a key component
Based on data from LMIU + others

14. HUMAN ELEMENT Competent seafarers: Critical success factors
Effective programmes to:
Recruit
Train and build experience
Retain

15. Seafarer recruitment
Global shortage of seafarers has encouraged programmes* to:
Attract young people to the industry
Heighten awareness of the maritime world
Provide easy access to information about the shipping industry, career opportunities, training and education facilities
Highlight seafaring as a “maritime career” with follow-on life time prospects ashore
* Many programmes have an EU focus, but the IMO has also initiated a global “Go To Sea” campaign

16. Providing information on maritime industries Maritime Industry Knowledge Centre
Objectives:
To improve the image of shipping
To heighten awareness of international shipping
To attract young people both to the seafaring professions and to careers onshore

17. Seafarer training
Ideally training establishments should provide appropriate courses, have competent staff and modern facilities, and be externally audited
In the tanker world the industry has established an additional scheme – Tanker Office Training Standards – addressing, assessing and recording the necessary skills and experience
“At sea” training should be incentivised with the provision and utilisation of cadet berths

18. Seafarer retention Programmes should:
make life at sea as close as possible to life at home
- with access to the social media, recreation facilities, etc.
pay more attention to the standards of crew accommodation
do more to address the working environment and practices
eliminate the concerns of seafarers – including the negative factors, such as the threats from Piracy and unwarranted criminalisation after a genuine accident

19. “A happy ship makes for a safer ship” Improving the design (1)
Areas for improved cooperation between Owners, Builders and Designers:
Accommodation and habitability standards
Owners too readily accept the “norms” of shipbuilders
Personal communications for crews
Providing crews with access to (cost-effective) internet and private communication
Better shipboard training facilities
To facilitate development and career enhancement
? Cadet berths and training spaces could be exempted from Tonnage Measurement ?

20. “A happy ship makes for a safer ship” Improving the design (2)
Areas for improved cooperation between Owners, Builders and Designers:
Equipment & systems sometimes NOT Fit For Purpose
Such as:
Waste management systems*; Oily water separators / oil discharge measurement equipment ; Incinerators; Lifeboats; Loading calculators; Cranes and more
(* while not forgetting the need to ensure adequate shoreside reception facilities)
Operating Manuals sometimes NOT Fit For Purpose
Language issues; Installation rather than instruction manuals; Incomplete in content; Inconsistent in functional scope; But also sometimes simply not available

21. Areas for improvement:
“A happy ship makes for a safer ship” Improving operational practices (1)
Areas for improvement:
Too many inspections ! - Adding unnecessarily to fatigue and stress
Ships and seafarers would benefit from :
- better targeting of inspections
- greater uniformity and harmonisation
Better information on properties and characteristics of cargoes and bunker fuels
Availability of Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) to be improved

22. Areas for improvement:
“A happy ship makes for a safer ship” Improving operational practices (2)
Areas for improvement:
The Tsunami of Paperwork
May be eased by employing ship’s clerk ?
Excessive pressure on Masters and crews from Charterers, Terminal Operators and Owners
Benefits from better dialogue with other stakeholders
Regulation without recognition of the impact on seafarers
More consideration to be given to the ramifications of new regulations and legislation at IMO and elsewhere – e.g. ballast water, multi-fuels, emission abatement technologies, etc.
The seafarer has to make it work - or risk being criminalised if it doesn’t !

23. “A happy ship makes for a safer ship” Addressing seafarers’ concerns
The unwarranted criminalisation of seafarers too often:
- is based on “Find the guilty” culture rather than “Find the cause”
- involves failure to adhere to IMO/ILO Fair Treatment Guidelines in the event of a Maritime Accident
- discourages comprehensive accident investigations, information sharing and near-miss reporting and is therefore detrimental to safety

24. “A happy ship makes for a safer ship” Addressing seafarers’ concerns
Actions by industry on criminalisation include:
actively lobbying governments to adopt and implement the IMO/ILO Guidelines
challenging legislation that is not consistent with international treaty obligations (such as MARPOL, UNCLOS) and/or introduces criminalisation for accidents and simple negligence – e.g. the EU Ship Source Pollution Directive
speaking out in cases of unjustified detentions and criminal proceedings, such as Prestige, Hebei Spirit, Full City and more

25. “A happy ship makes for a safer ship” Addressing seafarers’ concerns
The Fair Treatment concerns of seafarers go beyond unwarranted criminalisation
Crews are regularly treated as second class citizens
Examples include:
Shore leave denied
Crew changes prohibited
Access to medical treatment restricted
Excessive charges for terminal transits

26. “A happy ship makes for a safer ship” Addressing seafarers’ concerns
Protection against Piracy and Armed Robbery
Malacca Straits / South China sea
Nigeria / Gulf of Guinea
South America
Somalia – Gulf of Aden / W Indian Ocean
“Our paramount concern is the safety of our seafarers”
Governments providing much appreciated support
Owners providing extensive guidance
Ships adopting best practices
But problems and concerns remain
Will future designs provide better protection ?
Practical Measures to Avoid, Deter or Delay Piracy Attacks

27. Thank you 감사합니다 For more information, please visit: www.intertanko.com
London, Oslo. Washington, Singapore and Brussels