SAFETY MANAGEMENT

摘要

Docking a vessel is either a luxury or a necessity depending upon what intensity spirit the ship owner have. Many of them curse at the aggregate amount of repair cost and the vessel does not look better or obtain higher charter rates when she is back in service. But it is equally crazy for an owner to say that his vessel will continue trading for the next 5 years. However, although the docking itself is done by professionals and incidents are rare, there is room for improvement regarding safety; not only at the dockyard but also dockyard related accidents that happen later when the vessel is exposed to the elements and was unseaworthy. This will continue in the future if the industry leaves, sometimes fatal, accidents uninvestigated and make a decision whether a particular accident should be considered to take further steps. Todays simple answer is that we are technically speaking of two different things. While under repair the shipyard undertakes his liabilities and is based on an agreement between owner and shipyard and does not extent after vessel departure. At sea the owners insurance assumes liability for losses. But do the underwriters question the quality of the shipyard management, the professionalism and record of claims over the previous period? And do such records exist? This will be doubtful and could be difficult to collect. Insurers advise owners of risk gathered by experience but I have never come across that advice of risk for shipyard related items. Superintendents with dry dock experience will confirm that many deficiencies exist and improvements should be implemented.