Page 61 - Oil&Gas-AustralAsia-2015-Issue-3
P. 61
M ARITIME
of collisions, handling of dangerous • development of measures for onboard You snooze, you lose
cargos, maritime safety procedures and lifting appliances and winches
requirements, salvage and rescue ships • fishing vessel safety In this regard, maritime industry play-
and port security, piracy and any other Kicking off the meeting, IMO Secretary ers must make the necessary investment
matters directly affecting maritime safety. General Koji Sekimizu emphasized the and adjustments to prepare for the po-
MSC held its 95th session at the IMO need for shipping stakeholders namely tential impacts of various conventions,
headquarters at Albert Embankment, regulatory authorities, port state, ship- rules and codes related to maritime
London on 3-12 June 2015. The owners, shipyards, ship designers, safety. No doubt the cost of compliance
meeting was attended by around 400 ancillary support players and NGOs to demands players in the oil and gas
delegates from member states of IMO enhance collaboration and cooperation industry and shipowners and other
and various shipping related associa- to enhance safety at sea. He highlighted stakeholders to splurge considerable
tions and NGOs. several issues pertaining to safety at sea capital outlay to enhance the safety
The exhaustive agenda of the meeting including passenger vessel safety and and security of their ships and oper-
underlines the wide scope and multi-di- unsafe mixed migration at sea, urging ations. This, coming at a time when
mensionality of safety issues related to more concerted efforts by the stake- low oil price is wreaking havoc in the
shipping. They include : holders to prevent incidents in these industry and the shipping sector is still
• the adoption of a mandatory safety two areas. He also underscored the im- reeling from the global recession and
code for ships using gases or other portance of promoting innovation and low demand for their services, is indeed
low-flashpoint fuels optimizing the use of new technology adding to burden of companies strug-
• consideration of cyber threats to mari- to enhance the safety of ships. gling to weather the headwinds in their
time security. The Secretary General’s statement operating environment.
• Counter-piracy issues could not have been more pertinent
• LRIT audit as the 95th MSC started days after the However, there should not be any com-
• cleaner energy consumption of ships tragic sinking of a ferry carrying 456 promise when it comes to safety. They
via the adoption of the IGF Code passengers and crew in Yangtze River should look beyond the cost involved
• guidelines on Software Quality As- in China. The incident once again has but the benefit of living the safety first
surance and Human Central Design for highlighted the need for shipowners adage, and adapt it as part of their cor-
e-navigation and operators to adhere to safety regu- porate culture and individual mantra
• periodic servicing and maintenance lations and exercise good judgment in every time they go to work onboard
of lifeboats, launching appliances and order to protect the lives of passengers offshore structures or ships, or under-
release gear, and crews and also the assets. water. When it comes to the marine
environment, safety isn’t expensive,
it’s priceless. Even with sophisticated
safety measures, extensive safety codes
and elaborate safety procedures and
processes already in place, accidents
are always lurking and happening. As
such, utmost attention must be given
by those who work offshore to ensure
safety rules are followed, mandates and
conventions complied with and equip-
ment are well maintained to prevent
untowards incidents that may injure or,
worse, fatal and can cause damage to
assets and the environment.
In other words, those working offshore
should be mindful that accidents do
not happen, they are caused, and can
certainly be prevented by paying keen
attention to and adhering to safety
conventions, processes and procedures.
Accidents hurt but safety doesn’t! §
IMO Secretary General, Koji Sekimizu delivering
his opening address during the 95th MSC
A Awww.oilandgasaustralasia.com JULY/AUGUST 2015 OIL & GAS ustral SIA 59
of collisions, handling of dangerous • development of measures for onboard You snooze, you lose
cargos, maritime safety procedures and lifting appliances and winches
requirements, salvage and rescue ships • fishing vessel safety In this regard, maritime industry play-
and port security, piracy and any other Kicking off the meeting, IMO Secretary ers must make the necessary investment
matters directly affecting maritime safety. General Koji Sekimizu emphasized the and adjustments to prepare for the po-
MSC held its 95th session at the IMO need for shipping stakeholders namely tential impacts of various conventions,
headquarters at Albert Embankment, regulatory authorities, port state, ship- rules and codes related to maritime
London on 3-12 June 2015. The owners, shipyards, ship designers, safety. No doubt the cost of compliance
meeting was attended by around 400 ancillary support players and NGOs to demands players in the oil and gas
delegates from member states of IMO enhance collaboration and cooperation industry and shipowners and other
and various shipping related associa- to enhance safety at sea. He highlighted stakeholders to splurge considerable
tions and NGOs. several issues pertaining to safety at sea capital outlay to enhance the safety
The exhaustive agenda of the meeting including passenger vessel safety and and security of their ships and oper-
underlines the wide scope and multi-di- unsafe mixed migration at sea, urging ations. This, coming at a time when
mensionality of safety issues related to more concerted efforts by the stake- low oil price is wreaking havoc in the
shipping. They include : holders to prevent incidents in these industry and the shipping sector is still
• the adoption of a mandatory safety two areas. He also underscored the im- reeling from the global recession and
code for ships using gases or other portance of promoting innovation and low demand for their services, is indeed
low-flashpoint fuels optimizing the use of new technology adding to burden of companies strug-
• consideration of cyber threats to mari- to enhance the safety of ships. gling to weather the headwinds in their
time security. The Secretary General’s statement operating environment.
• Counter-piracy issues could not have been more pertinent
• LRIT audit as the 95th MSC started days after the However, there should not be any com-
• cleaner energy consumption of ships tragic sinking of a ferry carrying 456 promise when it comes to safety. They
via the adoption of the IGF Code passengers and crew in Yangtze River should look beyond the cost involved
• guidelines on Software Quality As- in China. The incident once again has but the benefit of living the safety first
surance and Human Central Design for highlighted the need for shipowners adage, and adapt it as part of their cor-
e-navigation and operators to adhere to safety regu- porate culture and individual mantra
• periodic servicing and maintenance lations and exercise good judgment in every time they go to work onboard
of lifeboats, launching appliances and order to protect the lives of passengers offshore structures or ships, or under-
release gear, and crews and also the assets. water. When it comes to the marine
environment, safety isn’t expensive,
it’s priceless. Even with sophisticated
safety measures, extensive safety codes
and elaborate safety procedures and
processes already in place, accidents
are always lurking and happening. As
such, utmost attention must be given
by those who work offshore to ensure
safety rules are followed, mandates and
conventions complied with and equip-
ment are well maintained to prevent
untowards incidents that may injure or,
worse, fatal and can cause damage to
assets and the environment.
In other words, those working offshore
should be mindful that accidents do
not happen, they are caused, and can
certainly be prevented by paying keen
attention to and adhering to safety
conventions, processes and procedures.
Accidents hurt but safety doesn’t! §
IMO Secretary General, Koji Sekimizu delivering
his opening address during the 95th MSC
A Awww.oilandgasaustralasia.com JULY/AUGUST 2015 OIL & GAS ustral SIA 59
