Managing+risk+in+shipping

Classification experts claim that the application of sound risk-management principles can do much to reduce the incidence of casualties and damage in the shipping industry. But before a sensible risk-management plan can be drawn up, operating staff must be able to identify and prioritise the main risks. DNV has developed a risk-assessment service to help do this.

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Navigational risks, and potential groundings and collisions, are addressed in DNV’s risk assessment work for TPM.
DNV has for many years been analysing major casualties incurred by shipowners and operators in order to determine and assess the nature of the risks its clients are experiencing. Recent experience shows that ship failures (structural, mechanical and equipment) present a more optimistic picture, than in the 1980s and early 1990s, with a significant reduction over the past few years. However, human error still continues to be a serious challenge, accounting for a considerable proportion of the casualties hence the need for more education and training in how to manage risk. In recent years, DNV has led the field in the development of education and training schemes to support risk-management initiatives. In addition to these schemes, DNV is offering its clients a wide and expanding range of value-added services, such as its risk-assessment services. DNV Singapore recently carried out a risk-assessment assignment for Singapore-based Tanker Pacific Management (TPM), which operates about 50 vessels with a total capacity of over 7 million deadweight tons. In this assignment, DNV was asked to play an objective advisory role in helping to identify navigational hazards and possible solutions relating to groundings and collisions.

Seeking root causes
DNV Regional Manager for South East Asia, Robert Løseth, explains, This assignment came as a feedback on their operational experience and confirmed by DNV statistics, that navigational incidents are high contributors to oil-spill risk. In addition to basic fact-finding, TPM wanted to know how root causes could be addressed. The company management saw this as an opportunity to go back to basics and overhaul the system. In carrying out this project, TPM established an independent hazard-identification and solution- generation team consisting of nine senior professional staff from the marine, technical and QA departments, as well as senior masters and chief engineers. The team is supplemented by an internal organisational behaviourist and DNV consultants. DNVs role is to facilitate finding solutions (hazard identification and risk assessment) and the implementation of risk management, particularly in navigation and training.

The objective view
All senior managers at Tanker Pacific are closely involved in this exercise. Company managing director, Hugh Hung, believes that an independent facilitator with solid experience in risk-assessment assignments helps to give focus, remove possible blind spots and allow a fresh, objective look. We are committed to the highest standards of safety for the protection of our crews and the environment. We believe that the ongoing risk-assessment work will help provide us with a high level of objectivity in order to better identify means of improving our safety system and particularly our navigational procedures.

Date: 2001-03-15

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