DNV expects there to be an increased differentiation in safety performance due to the high pressure to maintain the expertise in the shipping industry.
In addition, the shipping industry is expected to need some 180,000 additional crew members over the next three years. To avoid an increase in the number of major accidents involving untrained crews on sub-standard vessels, the industry as a whole has to act now.
Head of DNV Maritime Solutions, Dr Espen Cramer says: “The shipping industry has been booming for longer and at a higher peak than at any time before. The concurrent strong markets mean that one profitable segment cannot take crew from another declining segment. Due to the long-lasting strong markets, the large number of newbuildings ordered in the early good market cannot to the same degree take crew from phased-out vessels.”
At the same time, the demand for quality crew is at an all-time high. The world fleet is now increasingly technically advanced and operates at an extremely high productivity rate.
Dr Cramer adds: “The shipping industry is becoming a competence-based industry, and the qualification of the crew is growing increasingly important. Companies within this industry need a mature organisation in terms of hands-on, long-term management, good, proactive communication, teamwork involving all parts of the organization and, last but not least, focused leadership.”
In order to be prepared for the coming period with increasing demand for competence, companies need to act and to know their performance on these factors so they can ensure a satisfactory safety and quality standard.
Dr Cramer summarises his concerns by saying: “Safety is not an act, it is a habit. The longer the market stays strong, the greater the variation in safety is expected to be. It is highly likely that the shipping segment that first experiences a drop in the market will be affected by a dramatic loss of manpower. How do you achieve a satisfactory safety performance if you cannot attract, train and retain crew with the right qualifications?”