Designing out disaster Michael Grey, MBE

摘要

It is always risky to take statistics out of context, but the 18,000'running total' of deaths on passenger ships during the past 15 years is one that leads to a sharp intake of breath. The Australian journal Workboat World maintains this melancholy record and it does an important service. While the aggregated total is shocking enough, perhaps more depressing is the lack of any improving trends during the period under review. There are still several months to go in 2015 and several accidents (the worse being the Chinese river craft with 442 lives lost) already see this year's total pushing 750 deaths. The point is often made that the majority of passenger ship disasters involve local ferries in developing countries, where the only means of transport involves overcrowded, ill-regulated and poorly maintained local craft. It is also often noted that international regulations do not apply to domestic shipping or small craft. While the secretary-general of the IMO might express his frustration at his inability to improve matters, extending the organisation's remit is not on anyone's agenda.