RISK AWARENESS
POLLUTION CLAIMS
An aid to risk identification and loss reduction
DEFINITIONS
In this checklist, colour is used to denote the various
elements in the risk awareness process
Threat
Something that if not controlled could cause a
P&I incident
Consequence
The monetary cost to the Club/Member
Control
Something which reduces the possibility of a ‘Threat’
causing an incident
Something that should be in place after the incident
to help reduce the cost of the claim
How effective do you think the Controls are on
your ship – are there any accidents just waiting
to happen?
Copyright: Thomas Miller P&I Limited 2017.
Thomas Miller P&I Limited asserts its right under the Copyright, Designs
and Patents Act 1988 to be identified as the author of this work.
No parts of this publication shall be lent, sold, hired out or otherwise
circulated or used without the publisher’s prior consent.
2
USING THIS CHECKLIST /
SCORING
This booklet is a guide to the Controls and key
points that the UK Club’s Risk Assessors look
for when inspecting a vessel.
It will allow you to carry out a similar check on
the Threats and Controls and make sure the
vessel has a good risk profile.
Each booklet in the Risk Awareness series
deals with an area of Risk – Personal injury,
collision, pollution, etc – and these are
sub-divided into Threats and then Controls.
Each Threat is followed by a ‘score’ section
where the individual Controls can be graded
according to how effective they are:
1 Very good control
2 Good control
3 Average control
4 Poor control
5 Very poor control (maybe non-existent)
Furthermore, there is space to make comments
on certain Controls; to note ways in which
deficient ones could be improved.
At the back, there is a section on
Consequences, which is also divided into
Controls that should be in place to mitigate the
cost of any claim, i.e. after the event controls.
These too can be graded.
                                                    3
Pollution
THREAT: BUNKERING
OPERATION
CONTROLS:
Inspection and planned maintenance
 Machinery and equipment in all areas is logged into an
  inspection and planned maintenance system on board
 Adequate for the task
 Hose/pipelines pressure tested
 Certification of hoses in order
 Hose pipeline connections adequate
Trade competency of personnel to perform
required duties
 Do all personnel have required certification for the jobs they do,
  are these certificates valid?
 Training checks, HR and ship follow-up on joining, full
  familiarisation and training on board the vessel as required for
  tasks to be performed
Sufficient personnel for required operation
 Are there adequate numbers of personnel available to cover all
  the required workload in safe manner?
 Rest periods adequate?
Effective supervision by officer/supervisor
during operation
 Are proper supervision levels defined and is the supervisor
  required to take part in operations?
 Is the role defined correctly as oversight of the operation
  for safety?
Barge/Shore equipment
 Hose certificates checked?
 Quality of barge and crew provided is under charterer control?
 Approach performed at slow speed and in calm conditions?
 Barge tied to ship throughout transfer – moorings adequate –
  no DP operations?
 Fenders provided by bunkering barge?
 Visual inspection of hoses connected to the vessel for damage?
4
 Are enough personnel available on barge/shore?
 Are bunkering procedures agreed with barge/shore personnel
  to avoid spillage?
Bunkering procedures
 Are they adequate, are people aware of them?
 Bunkering plans in place?
 Ship/shore safety checklists correctly completed?
 Tank and pipeline valves set and checked – double checked?
 Valves to any overflow tank are open?
 Saveall plugs are in place?
 All deck scuppers plugged?
 Hose/pipeline connections checked?
 Tank levels monitored?
 Watch on deck?
 Oil spill equipment adequate and deployed?
 Pumping rate reduced at start and prior completion to avoid
  over pressure on tanks?
 Procedure to avoid deck overflow (rain water)?
Scupper and saveall plugs in place?
Communications established between all
parties throughout operations
 Between all parties and control station throughout operations
 Is a back-up communications system provided should primary
  systems fail?
 Clear communication established between ship and barge
  before close approach allowed
 Are any language barriers properly addressed
Toolbox talks and work planning meetings
 Are these pre-work meetings held on board?
 They should include, as far as practical to do so, the following:
   • Risk assessment of operation to include the plan to be
     discussed and evaluated with the team members
   • Safety matters, to include:
     - Discuss the job plan overall
     - What is the job, and procedure to follow?
     - Who will do what?
     - Discuss the safety rules for the area of work to be done
   • What could go wrong?
   • What are the main hazards?
   • Assess the risks and how do you eliminate them?
                                                                      5
    • Get all to participate to create ownership of safety in the job
      to be done, and full safety awareness
    • Ensure, as far as possible, all personnel understand the
      safety rules for the job to be done
    • Remind all of the STOP procedure if the job changes
      (ie weather hazards, additional ropes required, winch
      problems, minor and major accidents should occur)
SCORE
Threat: Bunkering operation
Inspection and planned maintenance
Trade competency of personnel
Sufficient personnel for required operation
Effective supervision during operation
Barge/Shore equipment
Bunkering procedures
Scupper plugs and savealls in place
Communications established
Toolbox talks and work planning meetings
COMMENTS
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THREAT: CARGO LOADING/
DISCHARGE OPERATION
CONTROLS:
Loading/Discharge plan
 Plans understood and agreed by all parties?
 Pre-planning and stability calculations are conducted for
  transfer operations?
 Safety checklists are completed prior to commencing any
  transfer operation?
 Ventilation plans and procedures discussed?
High level alarms tested
 Record of testing – checked?
 Automatic shutdown valves tested regularly?
Tank/manifold valves set and checked
 Procedure to set up pipelines for operation and double check
  in place?
 Are physical checks made that valves are open/closed?
Hose/manifold equipment condition
 Hose/pipelines pressure tested annually?
 Certification of hoses in order?
 Visual inspection of connections prior to operations?
 Hose pipeline connections adequate?
Reduced pumping rate at start and finish
 Commencement leak checks in all areas at low pumping rates?
 Topping off procedures are discussed at all levels?
Toolbox talks and work planning meetings
 Are these pre-work meetings held on board?
 They should include, as far as practical to do so, the following:
   • Risk assessment of operation to include the plan to be
     discussed and evaluated with the team members
   • Safety matters, to include:
     - Discuss the job plan overall
     - What is the job and procedure to follow?
     - Who will do what?
     - Discuss the safety rules for the area of work to be done
                                                                      7
    • What could go wrong?
    • What are the main hazards?
    • Assess the risks and how do you eliminate them?
    • Get all to participate to create ownership of safety in the job
      to be done and full safety awareness
    • Ensure as far as possible all personnel understand the safety
      rules for the job to be done
    • Remind all of the STOP procedure if the job changes
      (ie weather hazards, additional ropes required, winch
      problems, minor and major accidents should occur)
Sufficient personnel for required operation
 Are there adequate numbers of personnel available to cover all
  the required workload in safe manner?
 Rest periods adequate?
Trade competency of personnel to perform
required duties
 Do all personnel have required certification for the jobs they do,
  are these certificates valid?
 Training checks, HR and ship follow up on joining, full
  familiarisation and training on board the vessel as required for
  tasks to be performed
Inspection and planned maintenance
 Machinery and equipment in all areas is logged into an
  inspection and planned maintenance system on board?
 Adequate for the task?
Scupper plugs in place?
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SCORE
Threat: Cargo loading/discharge operation
Loading/Discharge plan
High level alarms tested
Tank/manifold valves set and checked
Hose/manifold equipment condition
Reduced pumping rate at start and finish
Toolbox talks and work planning meetings
Sufficient personnel for required operation
Trade competency of personnel
Inspection and planned maintenance
COMMENTS
                                              9
THREAT: BILGE AND SLOP
OPERATIONS
CONTROLS:
Equipment condition/maintenance
 Pipes tested/checked?
 OWS maintenance and records, alarm tested regularly, cleaned
  regularly, spares on board, in PMS?
 ODM tested/calibrated and records, in PMS?
 Bilge and slop tanks inspection/maintenance and records
  on board?
Visual monitoring of overboard discharge
 Not complete reliance on ODM and OWS alarms
 A procedure is in place to visually monitor the overboard
  discharge?
Bilge condition
 All bilges are maintained in a clean and oil free condition at
  all times
 Any spillage to bilges or leakage cleaned up on a regular basis
Sludge incineration
 Sludge is incinerated if applicable
 Records are maintained in the ORB for all incineration in
  accordance with incinerator capacity
     (Check ORB records against capacity of incinerator)
Sludge and slops disposed ashore/etc
 Certificates for sludge and slops disposed ashore are maintained
 If load on top is used then records are maintained for all
  operations where this is the case in the cargo record book
 Boil off of sludge to remove water, records are correctly
  maintained in ORB
Toolbox talks and work planning meetings
 Are these pre-work meetings held on board?
 They should include, as far as practical to do so, the following:
     • Risk assessment of operation to include the plan to be
       discussed and evaluated with the team members
     • Safety matters, to include:
       - Discuss the job plan overall
       - What is the job, and procedure to follow?
       - Who will do what?
       - Discuss the safety rules for the area of work to be done
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   • What could go wrong?
   • What are the main hazards?
   • Assess the risks and how do you eliminate them?
   • Get all to participate to create ownership of safety in the job
     to be done and full safety awareness
   • Ensure as far as possible all personnel understand the safety
     rules for the job to be done
   • Remind all of the STOP procedure if the job changes
     (ie weather hazards, additional ropes required, winch
     problems, minor and major accidents should occur)
SCORE
Threat: Bilge and slop operations
Equipment condition/maintenance
Visual monitoring of overboard discharge
Bilge condition
Sludge incineration
Sludge and slops disposed ashore/etc
Toolbox talks and work planning meetings
COMMENTS
                                                                   11
THREAT: BALLAST WATER
POLLUTION
CONTROLS:
Equipment condition/maintenance
 Pipes tested/checked?
 Pumps in good order and tested regularly?
 Ballast eductors in good order and tested regularly?
 Ballast tank inspection/maintenance?
Ballast water exchange procedures
 Stability calculations and stress calculations performed for all
  ballast exchanges and recorded
 Ballast exchange procedure and plan in place for the vessel,
  where, how and when to exchange ballast
 Records to be kept are maintained, etc
 Pre-exchange plan for each operation
 Personnel involved instructed on procedures
 One person in charge of exchange
 Legal requirements to inform next port authorities met
 Pre-exchange and post exchange samples in clean containers
  maintained on board if required
Ballast water sterilisation
 Equipment fitted
 Requirement to have fitted and when is known
 Plan for fitting and when is on board
Toolbox talks and work planning meetings
 Are these pre-work meetings held on board?
 They should include, as far as practical to do so, the following:
     • Risk assessment of operation to include the plan to be
       discussed and evaluated with the team members
     • Safety matters, to include:
       - Discuss the job plan overall
       - What is the job, and procedure to follow?
       - Who will do what?
       - Discuss the safety rules for the area of work to be done
     • What could go wrong
     • What are the main hazards
     • Assess the risks and how do you eliminate them?
     • Get all to participate to create ownership of safety in the job
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     to be done and full safety awareness
   • Ensure as far as possible all personnel understand the safety
     rules for the job to be done
   • Remind all of the STOP procedure if the job changes
     (ie weather hazards, additional ropes required, winch
     problems, minor and major accidents should occur)
Control of ballast overflow in port
 Scuppers plugged against accidental overflow
 Decks always clean (minor oil spills)
 Planning to avoid ballast overflow during ballasting in port
 Vent heads clearly marked
Ballast water sampling
 Are procedures in place to keep ballast water samples on
  board (Ukrainian fines for polluted ballast?)
SCORE
Threat: Ballast water pollution
Equipment condition/maintenance
Ballast water exchange procedures
Ballast water sterilisation
Toolbox talks and work planning meetings
Control of ballast overflow in port
Ballast water sampling
COMMENTS
                                                                 13
THREAT: GARBAGE DISPOSAL
CONTROLS:
Garbage management plan
 Plan checked/approved?
 Garbage disposal receipts maintained?
Crew instruction on garbage management and
segregation
 Are all crew aware of and in compliance with the vessel’s
  garbage management plan?
 Segregation procedures?
 Incineration procedures?
 Landing ashore procedures?
 Disposal overboard and where this can be done?
 Special area requirements?
Provision of garbage handling equipment
 Lidded bins and/or garbage handling rooms
 All interior waste bins are non combustible type with lids
 All exterior storage is in clean lidded bins and segregated for
  eventual disposal
 Incinerator
 Compactor
 Composter
 Recycling procedures
Segregation procedures
 Multiple garbage bins in all public areas of correct type with lids
 Segregation policy in garbage management plan is followed by
  all on board
Special area requirements are complied with
 Retention of all wastes on board in special areas apart from
  food wastes which are disposed according to regulations
 Logged into the garbage log
Required garbage landed ashore
 All plastics and non disposable garbage landed ashore
 All landed garbage is logged into garbage log and receipts for
  disposal are obtained from shore authorities
Garbage disposal overside
 Garbage disposal overside follows MARPOL regulations
14
 Distance from shore and only in approved areas (no disposal
  apart from commuted food waste) in special areas
 Procedures for cargo residues and dunnage followed and log
  records maintained
Incineration
 Approved type incinerator fitted (approved for plastics?)
 Vessel maintains correct records of garbage incinerations
 All incinerator ash landed ashore and receipts obtained/logged
Log entries to be correct for all disposals
 Garbage record book correctly updated
 All records to conform with the position of the vessel as in the
  deck log or official log of the ship
SCORE
Threat: Garbage disposal
Garbage management plan
Crew instruction on management/segregation
Provision of garbage handling equipment
Segregation procedures
Special area requirements are complied with
Required garbage landed ashore
Garbage disposal overside
Incineration
Log entries to be correct for all disposals
COMMENTS
                                                                 15
THREAT: SEWAGE DISPOSAL
CONTROLS:
Sewage disposal procedures defined
 Does the vessel have sewage disposal plan in place to ensure
  sewage is disposed according to MARPOL regulations?
 Discharge correctly treated
 Records of all discharges are maintained
 Procedures in port are defined
Sewage treatment on board
 Holding tanks
 Approved treatment plant with proper certification
 Discharge correctly treated or disposed at correct distance
  from the land
 Records maintained
 Equipment maintained PMS system for this is in place
 Training on equipment
Sewage discharge tested
 Method/frequency of testing
 Records of testing maintained in PMS system
SCORE
Threat: Sewage disposal
Sewage disposal procedures defined
Sewage treatment on board
Sewage discharge tested
COMMENTS
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THREAT: FUNNEL EMISSIONS
CONTROLS:
Exhaust gas emission monitoring
 Black smoke/soot from funnel
 Use of incinerator in port
 SECA area control
 Remote monitoring (CCTV)
 Monitoring and reporting by deck dept
Compliance with low sulphur fuel regulations
 Vessel has a low sulphur fuel plan
 For EU ports vessel has ultra low sulphur fuel on board
 Change over procedures followed and recorded for entering
  SECAs and EU ports when alongside
 Bunker samples and receipts
 Equipment modification for LS fuel carried out as required
 Lub oil changes as required
 Maintenance of records in approved form of log book
   (Panama requires in the ORB, others do not have approved
   formats as yet)
Inspection and planned maintenance
 Machinery and equipment in all areas is logged into an
  inspection and planned maintenance system on board
 Adequate for the task
SCORE
Threat: Funnel emissions
Exhaust gas emission monitoring
Compliance with low sulphur fuel regulations
Inspection and planned maintenance
COMMENTS
                                                               17
THREAT: HULL/EQUIPMENT
FAILURES
CONTROLS:
Steel condition/maintenance/inspection
 Does on board PMS cover regular inspection to determine
  condition of hull and tanks in all areas of the vessel
 Corrosion (coating cover and pitting of steelwork)
 Erosion
 Bacteriological deterioration
 Stern gland oil seal checks
 Records/surveys
 Ultra sonic test records as determined by the age of ship and
  trade type
 CAP survey
SCORE
Threat: Hull/Equipment failures
Steel condition/maintenance/inspection
COMMENTS
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THREAT: FAILURE OF HOSE
OR PIPELINE
CONTROLS:
Hose/Pipelines pressure tested annually
 All cargo and bunker piping under PMS pressure tested and
  marked annually
Hose/Pipelines connection well secured
 New joint used at each manifold connection for bunkering and
  loading liquid cargo (cargo/bunker plan)
 All bolt holes secured with a bolt
 Cam type connections inspected and in good condition
 O ring seals renewed for every load operation
 Reducers checked and in good condition, fit for cargo to
  be carried.
 All piping and hoses are properly secured and supported to
  reduce stress and breakage due to stress
Pumping rate reduced at start and finish
Pressure monitored
 Pressure gauges fitted and under PMS for inspection
  and testing
 Fit for purpose and monitored at all times throughout the
  transfer operations
Scupper plugs in place
Oil spill kit available
Regular drills
 See ‘Consequences’ section
Communications established between all
parties throughout operations
 Between all parties and control station throughout operations,
  and is a back-up communications system provided should
  primary systems fail
                                                               19
SCORE
Threat: Failure of hose or pipeline
Hose/Pipelines pressure tested annually
Hose/Pipelines connection well secured
Pumping rate reduced at start and finish
Pressure monitored
Scupper plugs in place
Oil spill kit available
Regular drills
Watch on deck
Communications established
COMMENTS
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THREAT: IN TRANSIT CARGO
OPERATIONS
CONTROLS:
Heating of cargo
 Cargo expansion issues
 Tank level and temperature monitoring
Cargo planning
 Pre-planning and stability calculations are conducted for
  transfer operations
 Safety checklists are completed prior to commencing any
  transfer operation
Sufficient personnel for required operation
 Are there adequate numbers of personnel available to cover all
  the required workload in safe manner?
 Rest periods adequate?
Trade competency of personnel to perform
required duties
 Do all personnel have required certification for the jobs they do,
  are these certificates valid?
 Training checks, HR and ship follow up on joining, full
  familiarisation and training on board the vessel as required for
  tasks to be performed
Stability/Stress calculations
 Is loadicator approved by class?
 Prior to any load or discharge is the stability loadicator test
  program run and are written records maintained?
 Are ship’s stability calculations completed by certificated
  officers approved by flag state?
 Do all officers have required STCW documentation/training
  requirement?
 Are officers familiar with ship and voyage/stability requirements?
 Are officers fully competent in use of loadicator instrument?
 Are full and comprehensive written stability calculations
  retained on board?
 Are full clear and comprehensive list of all tanks/cargo weights
  of the vessel maintained in an approved format?
 Is the master updated regularly on ships stability criteria?
 Are hourly stability checks made during loading and
  discharging operations?
                                                                    21
 Positive stability ensured throughout voyage and during load
  and discharge periods?
Scupper plugs in place?
SCORE
Threat: In transit cargo operations
Heating of cargo
Cargo planning
Sufficient personnel for required operation
Trade competency of personnel
Stability/Stress calculations
Scupper plugs in place
COMMENTS
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THREAT: IN TRANSIT BUNKER
TRANSFERS
CONTROLS:
Scupper plugs in place
Bunker transfer procedures
 Are procedures adequate, are people aware of them?
 Bunkering plans in place?
 Ship checklists correctly completed?
 Tank and pipeline valves set and checked – double checked?
 Valves to any overflow tank are open?
 Saveall plugs are in place?
 Tank levels monitored?
 Watch on deck?
 Oil spill equipment adequate and deployed?
 Pumping rate reduced at start and prior completion to avoid
  over pressure on tanks?
 Bunker temperature records maintained?
SCORE
Threat: In transit bunker transfers
Scupper plugs in place?
Bunker transfer procedures
COMMENTS
                                                                23
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Consequences
CONTROLS:
Damage mitigation procedures
 What procedures are in place to help reduce the effects of a
  personal injury incident and how effective are they?
 Have all possible measures been taken and recorded to limit
  physical damage to crew/passengers in every possible way, as
  appropriate to the trade and type of the vessel?
 All mitigation measures are logged?
Alarm/Stop procedures
 Are procedures in place to warn ship/shore of incident and to
  stop the operation?
 Communications procedure in place for all incidents?
 General and fire alarms are functioning correctly?
 Automatic fire detection is good?
 Fixed gas detectors, where fitted, check regular calibration, etc.
 Verbal alarm raising system is defined and can be shown to be
  adequate?
 Procedure in place to suspend or stop the operation if an
  accident occurs and if it is safe to do so?
    • Pumps on board/ashore
    • Cargo conveyor belts
    • Cranes/derricks
    • Electrical power cut outs
Emergency drills/training
 Are drills/training procedures in place to cope with high risk
  incidents?
 Fire drills
 Security drills
 Anti-piracy drills
 Emergency steering drills
 SOPEP
 Anti pollution drills
   Pollution drills – bunker leak, cargo leak, grounding, collision, etc
 Watertight integrity drills – watertight doors, bulkhead valves, etc
 Ballasting procedures in the event of a hull breach
                                                                      25
Emergency equipment adequacy/availability
 Is the ship’s equipment available/adequate to deal with high
  risk incidents:
     • SOPEP equipment
     • Fixed fire equipment
     • Portable fire equipment
 Are crew familiar with the equipment?
Emergency reporting/communication procedures
 Are there reporting procedures in place and understood if an
  incident occurs?
 Reporting to owner, charterer, P&I correspondent
 Categorisation of incident?
 Timing of incident?
 Communication requirements
 Who was informed on board/on shore?
     • When?
     • How?
     • Why?
     • What did they do?
 Records of communications. (ship management, third parties,
  national authorities, P&I, etc)
 Letters of protest:
     • Are there procedures in place for issuing letters of protest?
     • Are the reasons for issuing letters of protest understood?
     • For all incidents LOP should be issued and where possible
       notorised, signed for receipt, etc
     • Copies retained on file on board and entered in the evidence
       log for use in defending the claim should it arise
Record keeping/evidence retention
 Information required to help process claims:
     • Log books preserved and records tallied with bell books
       (movement book – deck and engine)
     • Charts preserved and records kept as evidentiary chain
     • Voyage data recorder (VDR) information properly preserved
       and evidence used
     • Time of the incident GMT and local time?
     • What happened and to whom?
     • Where did it happen?
     • When did it happen?
     • What were they doing at the time?
     • What were the immediate consequences?
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   • Full list of witnesses to the incident
   • Witness statements
   • Electronic records of ship’s operational position at the time of
     the incident
   • Operational status of vessel, at sea, in port, tank cleaning,
     cargo operations, mooring, etc.
   • Records of casualty communications and third part
     responses (salvors, other vessels, etc.)
 Oil pollution:
   • ORB (Parts 1 and 2 as applicable) and garbage logs are
     maintained and properly updated
   • Vessel has SOPEP or SMPEP as applicable
   • Vessel has correct certification for air, oil, sewage and
     garbage pollution properly updated
   • PMS system records maintained
   • Interface detectors on board and in good order/function test
     records maintained as appropriate
 Weather conditions:
   • Description of incident environment (hot, cold, stuffy, dark,
     confined, moving machinery, etc)
   • Description of weather
   • Description of sea state
 Use of NI publication The Mariner’s Role in Collecting Evidence
 Photos of incident and location time/date stamped, camera
  set up recorded, full description given in title and/or in
  comments field
 Photos to be secured from tampering by using security settings
  under properties
 Layout diagram
 Ship’s logs
 Procedures in use at time of incident
 Risk assessment records
 Exhibits (failed ladder, rope, etc)
 Service records
 Certifications
 Communications logs
 Permit to work records as applicable
 Toolbox talk records
 List of equipment (tools) involved in incident: condition of
  equipment, missing equipment
 Equipment certification, inspection logs, maintenance records
                                                                     27
Capability of crew to deal with incident
 How capable is the crew to deal with the incident?
 Competence of individuals involved in incident (recruitment,
  certification, training records, fitness to work (medical records)
 Fatigue factors: hours of work/rest, time on shift
 Contracted time on board vessel
 Actual time on board vessel current period
 Competence of individuals involved in response
 Experience of crew involved in the incident
 Language barriers of crew/shore personnel involved if any
Use of third party assistance
 Procedures for contacting third parties for assistance in the
  event of an incident
 By phone, radio, satellite link etc
 General advice:
     • Club correspondent
 Stability advice:
     • Collision – classification society
 Pollution:
     • Authorities
     • Harbour master
Learning from incidents
 Are lessons learned from previous incidents?
 Non conformity raised for incident?
 Incident/Accident report correctly filled in?
 Incident is raised at safety meetings and full crew meetings:
     • Discussion of what went wrong and how this can be avoided
       in future
 Incident is discussed and appraised at Company level:
     • Actions to avoid future incidents are discussed and taken,
       improving barriers
 Incident promulgated to full fleet to avoid duplication if possible
 Incident promulgated industry wide if appropriate to enhance
  safety culture
 Full risk assessment undertaken to improve barriers/controls in
  on board checklists
 Toolbox talks, job hazard awareness (JHA) systems and others
  as appropriate in all fleet vessels
28
SCORE
Consequences
Damage mitigation procedures
Alarm/Stop procedures
Emergency drills/training
Emergency equipment adequacy/availability
Emergency reporting/communication procedures
Record keeping/evidence retention
Capability of crew to deal with incident
Use of third party assistance
Learning from incidents
COMMENTS
                                               29
METHODOLOGY
Following the well-known definition:
RISK = FREQUENCY x CONSEQUENCE
The Club has analysed the number and value of the Club’s claims to
prioritise high risk areas and determine what the THREATS are that
cause these claims. Then, with the aid of those at the sharp end – our
correspondents, surveyors, claims executives and underwriters, and
last but not least, our crews – we have sought to determine what
CONTROLS – be it engineered, procedural or managerial – have
mitigated such claims, or would have done so if they had been in
place. Those threats and controls can then be targeted for
assessment, either with the help of the Club’s own risk assessors,
or by Members themselves in conjunction with their crews.
Although 60% of UK Club claims are caused by ‘human error’,
human error is often only ‘the straw that breaks the camel’s back’ –
the last event in a chain of causal events.
These causal events can normally be traced back to failures in one
or more areas of ship operation, we sometimes refer to them as
‘accidents waiting to happen’.
How can we reduce the frequency of these ‘accidents waiting to
happen’? What ‘controls’ should we be looking at to ensure the
‘threat’ is contained and an ‘incident’ does not occur?
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For further information please contact:
Loss Prevention Department, Thomas Miller P&I Ltd
Tel: +44 20 7204 2329 Fax +44 20 7283 6517
Email: lossprevention.ukclub@thomasmiller.com