The spectre of shipping lost

摘要

The marine industry operates in the harshest of conditions. Directly exposed to the elements and working -quite literally - in a fluid environment, ships and seafarers can find life very tough. Losses in terms of vessels and crews have always been unacceptably high, 'even in these days of advanced technology. Notwithstanding this, the recent Seatrade Safe Shipping Conference, held on April 10 and 11, 2001 at The Royal College of Surgeons, London, with its theme Raising the Safety Bar, could have been subtitled 'I have heard it all before'. Rodney Lanz, a former ship's master who spent a long time on tankers, presents a personal view.