Finnish Annual Maritime Safety Review 2013

Transcription

1 Finnish Annual Maritime Safety Review 2013

2 Cover photo: Vastavalo, Raimo Rosholm

3 Contents Maritime Transport Director s review 4 International cooperation between maritime authorities and having an influence on policy-makers 7 Outlook on the future 9 Maritime accidents in Finnish waters and in the northern Baltic Sea 11 Classification of maritime accidents 11 Very serious maritime accidents, and risk situations with the potential to escalate into a disaster 11 Serious maritime accidents 12 Accidents by vessel type 12 Accidents by type of event 13 Regional distribution of accidents 14 Risk associated with maritime professions 16 Maritime accidents around the world 19 Very serious maritime accidents 19 Accidents broken down by vessel type 20 Accidents broken down by type 20 Regional distribution of accidents 23 International development 25 Port state control inspections 27 Port state control inspections on Finnish vessels 27 Port state control inspections performed in Finland 29 Risk categories of vessels calling at ports 30 Vessel traffic to and from Finnish ports, and vessels risk categories 31 Ship surveys 34 Certification 37 Medical fitness 37 Pilotage and vessel traffic management 39 Use of ship simulators in pilotage 40 Port security 42 Transport of dangerous goods by sea 43 Solid bulk cargoes, bulk liquids and gases 43 Packaged dangerous goods 43 The Baltic Sea Memorandum of Understanding 44 Monitoring of the transport of dangerous goods, including any findings related to such transport 44 Environmental legislation becoming increasingly stringent comprehensive revision of Annex V of the MARPOL Convention and the assessment of its impact 47 Content of the legislative change 47 Current status 47 Assessing the indirect and direct impacts of the legislative change 48 The impact on the various actors has been assessed as follows: 48 Potential causal relationships 48 Recreational boating 51 Market surveillance of boats 53 Summary 54

4 4 Finnish Annual Maritime Safety Review 2013 Maritime Transport Director s review Discussions focusing on the future of Finland s industry and economy have increasingly highlighted the importance of shipping. Ensuring the availability of reasonably priced sea transport is paramount to our welfare. However, we must accept that shipping also requires constant development, in view of which we must find solutions to emerging challenges. Safety work has been established practice in shipping for decades. It is now yielding positive results and will continue. Alongside safety issues, environmental considerations have recently been brought to the fore. People s right to a healthy and clean environment is gaining prominence as an issue, both in Finland and abroad. It seems likely that this trend, which places a premium on people and the environment, will continue, with a variety of effects on shipping and the maritime industry. In Finland, new, technical and operational solutions to the environmental challenges of shipping are already on the drawing board. Some of these may lead to new business opportunities for Finnish companies. Creating and strengthening the prerequisite for further development of the maritime industry is one way in which Trafi is fulfilling its social responsibilities. In its capacity as a transport authority and an active policy making party, Trafi represents Finland in forums where guidelines for future international policies are formulated. Trafi is promoting open discussion on maritime issues. In so doing, it is attempting to strike an acceptable balance between safety, economy and environmental considerations. Today, information on shipping and boating is scattered between various locations, which hampers the use of such information. In the future, measures should be taken to make maritime information available from a variety of sources, in a manner that makes it rapidly accessible and easy to combine. In line with the principles of open data, such information should be available in a format compatible with its handover, where applicable, to commercial operators, in support of operational, innovation and product development activities, for example. At best, systematic gathering of information and its proper and efficient distribution can eliminate overlapping reporting practices, enhance the public administration s cost-efficiency and increase commercial operators business opportunities. We need an environment in Finland where maritime information can be exchanged, enabling the various databases administered by different authorities to talk to each other and allowing the various players in the field to retrieve the information they need. Constructing such a data exchange environment will be a major undertaking, requiring cooperation between several authorities. As one of Finland s major registration authorities, Trafi is eager to contribute to the successful completion of this project. For the public authorities, the availability and use of high-quality information will enable a shift towards a more risksensitive strategy, under which the authorities can allocate the available resources to areas where the most serious safety and environmental risks are located and where a positive impact can be made. In shipping and boating, much remains to be done in exploiting information gained on near misses and other such incidents, for the benefit of safety management. As a consequence, Trafi is promoting the creation of a trust-based safety culture in shipping. A solid reporting culture that takes due account of risk situations and dangerous incidents will form an integral part of this. Risks, and operational models posing a risk, should be identified as early as possible in order to enable subsequent policy changes and accident prevention. Human error is the single most common cause of accidents. In turn, human error is often attributable to deficiencies in an organisation s practices. Well-planned and safe operational models and well-functioning cooperation between crew members, supported by organisations which display an effective safety culture under the leadership of a committed management, are key factors in safe and environmentally friendly shipping. Understanding the value of safety is a step in the right direction. The next step is understanding that this requires commitment. While the situation regarding safety in shipping and boating in Finland is generally good, certain developments give cause for concern. The long-term trend in boating safety is positive. This good news is marred by a number of worrying situations, already reported this year, which have involved potential accidents. All such situations have seen boats pose a hazard to merchant vessels. By international comparison, Finland has held top rankings in the Paris MoU list of the best flag states, but that was in the last decade. We are now placed 11th, with a growing trend in the number of notifications issued to our vessels in port state control inspections. These issues must be addressed.

5 Finnish Annual Maritime Safety Review We need determined efforts from our professional seafarers, as well as from ship owners and boating organisations both of which are committed to a safety philosophy in order to ensure a continued positive trend in Finland s safety performance. Further efforts will have to be made to develop safety management in shipping and boating. Happily, continuous improvement is a core concept in safety management. Continuous improvement is also the foundation on which Trafi s analytical activities are based. Gathering of information and its exploitation through synthesis and analysis generate new perspectives on safety and ways of improving it. This publication is an example of such an approach. To a considerable degree, what you are reading is a result of analytical work performed in order to identify the causes and impacts of safety risks. Through this publication and in a spirit of openness, we would like to share the results of our work with the entire shipping community. We do this in the hope that we can continue our cooperation with this community in pursuit of safer and environmentally friendlier shipping. Tuomas Routa Maritime Transport Director Photo: Vastavalo, Tarja Hoikkala

6 6 Finnish Annual Maritime Safety Review 2013 International cooperation between maritime authorities and having an influence on policy-makers A substantial portion of international cooperation between maritime authorities relates to the development of the safety and environmental regulations governing the industry. The most important cooperation forum is the IMO, the International Maritime Organization. Shipping is governed by international conventions as well as regulations based on such conventions, both of which are drafted by the IMO. Another important actor is the European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA), which is tasked with assisting the European Commission in the monitoring of EU regulation implementation, including the structure and maintenance of ships, various forms of ship inspection, receipt in EU ports of ship-generated waste, certification of marine equipment, ship and port security and the training of seafarers. In the Baltic Sea region, we should not forget the cooperation conducted within the Helsinki Commission (HELCOM) in the preservation of the marine environment. Actions taken by the various states are commonly subject to international scrutiny. As a general rule, audits are carried out either via a peer review process, in the spirit of helping the involved parties to develop their operations, or through inspections carried out in an effort to control compliance with requirements. In late 2011, the IMO audited the Finnish maritime administration. The final report was completed in the spring of 2012, after which necessary corrective action was taken. The Finnish maritime administration was not audited by any external party in However, under the heading of inspection, the EMSA evaluated the administration s port security activities. Responses to the points raised in the evaluation were submitted by the given deadline. In early 2013, the EMSA audited the implementation and monitoring of the marine equipment directive in Finland. The annual meeting of the Nordic maritime safety directors was held in Finland, in the autumn of The issues discussed in the meeting include Nordic cooperation in recreational boating, the use of liquefied natural gas (LNG) as fuel in vessels, and the related EU viewpoints and opportunities for cooperation. Relating to the same topic, the participants also visited a topical, innovative and environmentally friendly ship construction project. The work being carried out on EU committees has made steady progress, with Finland participating in several EU and EMSA working groups given the task of improving passenger vessel safety. Related to this topic, Trafi s international department has further developed its cooperation with various stakeholders, particularly on the drafting of coordination documents and consultations with stakeholders. We have received positive feedback from the ministry and agency itself, as well as from the stakeholders and authorities with which we cooperate. While extensive work was carried out on various IMO committees and subcommittees in 2012, special mention is due to a concept known as the polar code, an initiative intended to supplement the existing IMO instruments such as the SOLAS and MARPOL conventions and other binding IMO treaties in reducing the risks to which ships operating in polar waters are subject. Such risks are caused by the extreme environmental conditions and long distances typical of the polar regions. Trafi has been an active participant in the development of the code s safety and environmental aspects. Both safety and environmental issues have been at the heart of bilateral discussions with Russia and other countries. Safety in winter navigation is the objective of Finland and Sweden s joint development of their ice class rules. Safety also lies at the heart of monitoring the AMSA (Arctic Marine Shipping Assessment) recommendations, which are made under the auspices of the Arctic Council, and the handling of reports on the recommendations implementation, which is done at meetings of Foreign Ministers and within the HELCOM Maritime Group.

7 Finnish Annual Maritime Safety Review A new, emerging issue can be discerned in the connection between maritime spatial planning and maritime safety. An EU framework directive on maritime spatial planning was issued in March This directive focuses on cross-border regions. The challenge here lies in ensuring adequate space for vessel traffic while respecting other activities carried out at sea, such as energy production (cables, gas and oil pipelines, wind farms), mineral and gravel extraction, commercial fishing, nature reserves and recreational use of waterways. HELCOM and VASAB (Vision and Strategy around the Baltic Sea) have established a joint working group for maritime spatial planning. This working group has approved ten principles according to which maritime spatial planning should be performed. Under Germany s leadership, the group has also clarified the legal framework applicable within this context and, under Finnish guidance, evaluated various ways of taking account of the ecosystem approach. The ecosystem approach is a strategy developed in connection with the implementation of the 1992 UN Biodiversity Convention, which is based on a certain set of policies and principles. This Convention seeks to promote the sustainable use, management and protection of land, waterways and biological resources, and to reconcile these objectives. Photo: Shutterstock

8 8 Finnish Annual Maritime Safety Review 2013 Photo: Vastavalo, Timo Kuparinen

9 Finnish Annual Maritime Safety Review Outlook on the future The European Union strategy and action plan for the Baltic Sea region was approved by the European Council in October This is the European Union s first internal regional strategy, which seeks to step up the current EU initiatives in the Baltic Sea area, to clarify the division of work between the EU and local actors and specify their agendas, and to integrate the regional perspective with the EU s various policy sectors. This strategy provides new instruments for cooperation conducted in the Baltic Sea region, enhances the division of work both within member states and on regional level, and takes greater account of the region s special needs within the European Union s policy-making process. The action plan includes the following four functional pillars for the Baltic Sea as a region: a sustainable environmental policy, a thriving regional economy, an attractive region with functioning transportation services and a secure region. The implementation plan has 15 priority sectors, four of which are being coordinated by Finland: action against eutrophication (together with Poland), action on sustainable agriculture, forestry and fishery policies (partly in cooperation with Sweden), action on the security of sea traffic (with Denmark), and action against international crime. One of the strategy s key challenges lies in improving the condition of the Baltic Sea. To achieve this goal, for example in terms of protection of the sea and ensuring maritime safety and security, all countries in the region, including the Russian Federation, must take simultaneous and parallel action. Furthermore, economic and trade developments and investments in transportation must be viewed from the perspective of the entire region, even though the EU decides on the implementation of its internal strategy itself. The most important issue is to build regional cooperation with the non- EU countries on an equitable basis and in mutual consultation. The Baltic Sea Strategy sends a positive signal to all countries in the region and serves as evidence of the Union s growing interest in the Baltic region. The Baltic Sea Maritime Safety Programme (2009) was drawn up following the adoption of Vanhanen s second government programme. It includes a wide variety of measures for improving maritime safety in Finnish waters and on the Baltic Sea as a whole. The basic principle underlying the Programme is that we must become more effective at preventing accidents and the resulting loss of life and halting pollution of the marine environment. The guidelines and measures adopted in the Programme are based on extrapolations of current development trends, projected forward over the next few years. Under the Programme, 78 different measures were identified for promoting safety and reducing the environmental impact of navigation. The Programme also highlighted change management, including monitoring of the possible effects of the EU sulphur directive and the mitigation of any unintended consequences. Measures already implemented include cooperation between Finland and Sweden on ice breaking, and auditing of the maritime administration by the IMO. Laying out guidelines on maritime safety, the Baltic Sea Maritime Safety Programme is an essential document. Actors in the sector are encouraged to consult this document, at the website of the Ministry of Transport and Communications or equivalent sites. The Ministry of Transport and Communications set up a working group in late summer 2012 to prepare a maritime transport strategy for Finland. This large group is composed of representatives of the various ministries and the transport administration. The objective of this working group is to draft an across-the-board maritime transport strategy for Finland covering the country s economy, industry, employment and environmental standards. The working group is also tasked with providing an analysis of the changes that have occurred in the last few years, as well as making changes required in support of future policies. While taking due account of the competitiveness of Finland s national economy, the central objective of the strategy is to ensure that Finland s maritime transportation and maritime industries function well. With respect to maritime safety, adequate consideration should be given to the principles outlined in the national safety strategy. The strategy is due for completion by the end of 2013.

10 10 Finnish Annual Maritime Safety Review 2013 Photo: Vastavalo, Jari Kurvinen

11 Finnish Annual Maritime Safety Review Maritime accidents in Finnish waters and in the northern Baltic Sea CLASSIFICATION OF MARITIME ACCIDENTS The IMO divides maritime accidents into three categories, based on their consequences: very serious accidents, serious accidents and other accidents. This classification system also includes a separate category for various near misses, hazardous situations and breaches of safety regulations. Very serious maritime accidents refer to accidents that result in loss of human life, substantial damage to the environment or total loss of the vessel. They can be viewed as situations in which safety measures designed to ensure maritime safety have failed, or as manifestations of a poor safety culture. The notion of a safety culture normally refers to the principles underlying operations that govern the performance of daily work and decision-making. Accidents classified as very serious form the only category on which international comparative information is available. The line between accidents labelled as serious and other accidents is often blurry, as both categories predominantly result in economic loss. As a consequence, these two categories are treated as a single group in this context. Accidents falling into this category can be characterised as situations where a safety measure or, in some cases, a lucky coincidence has prevented a serious accident from occurring. Information on near misses, hazardous situations and deviations is currently limited to data obtained from port state control inspections, ship surveys and Vessel Traffic Service reports. Incidents falling into this category can be viewed as situations in which primary safety measures designed to prevent accidents have failed but this did not result in a serious accident, due to the situation itself and other safety measures. Trafi aims to develop the reporting culture on risk situations and breaches of safety regulations, as a basis for improving safety. Very serious maritime accidents, and risk situations with the potential to escalate into a disaster The Safety Investigation Authority investigates all the accidents occurring in Finland s territorial waters or involving a Finnish vessel. Based on such investigations, it can be concluded that the number of accidents classified as very serious or risk situations with the potential to escalate into a disaster remained at a relatively low level in the period Such incidents totalled two per year on average over the last few years was exceptionally gloomy in this respect, with the number of incidents clearly exceeding the average (7). Although lives have been lost in accidents in recent years, no incidents leading to several fatalities, or to environmental disasters, have occurred. Broken down by vessel type, most accidents in the surveyed period affected fishing vessels (4). The next most numerous categories were tugboats (3) and cargo vessels (3). Of the various accidents, the most numerous involved the sinking of a vessel, occupational accidents and the drowning of crew members. It is worth noting that a sizeable portion of vessels involved in accidents were vessels operating in domestic traffic. In most such cases, the underlying problems involved safety management defects and the fleet s long service life, as a consequence of the short navigation season and other factors. Other typical causes of incidents include inadequate safety management system guidelines, the crew acting in breach of these guidelines, a deterioration in vessel stability and the presence of treacherous weather conditions. Most incidents classified during the same review period as risk situations with a potential for disaster affected passenger ships (5). In most cases, these involved groundings or fires which, given the nature of the operation, involved a risk of disaster. For example, in May 2005, a fire broke out on the car deck of a passenger ship. This fire was put out without serious consequences, thanks to rapid action taken by the crew to ex- Photo: Vastavalo, Harri Pekkinen

12 12 Finnish Annual Maritime Safety Review 2013 Accidents and hazardous situations with the potential for a disaster in Source: The Safety Investigation Authority Very serious accident Hazardous situations with the potential for a disaster Accidents of Finnish shipping companies in Source: Lloyd s List Intelligene cover both vessels sailing under the Finnish flag and other vessels either owned or chartered by such companies. Since 2012, the Finnish Transport Safety Agency has been developing statistical reporting on accidents occurring in Finnish waters. The quality of such statistics is now high enough to have permitted their use in accident investigations for last year. These statistics cover only Finland s territorial waters and Finnish vessels. According to Lloyd s Intelligence, the number of accidents classified as serious increased during in Finland and in the northern Baltic Sea. In 2012, a total of 26 serious accidents were recorded, eight more than the average (18) over the last ten years. Serious accidents in Finland s territorial waters and in the northern Baltic Sea Source: Lloyd s List Intelligence This survey was limited to the Baltic Sea north of latitude A similar territorial limitation applies to page 15. tinguish the fire in its early stages, followed by a well-organised fire-fighting operation. At the time, the vessel was carrying 1,077 passengers and 159 crew members. Risk situations with a potential for disaster were also registered in cases involving cargo vessels (4) and fishing vessels (1), where the incidents in question resulted either from groundings, fires, machinery failures or other similar factors. Serious maritime accidents The Safety Investigation Authority monitors accidents that occur in Finland s territorial waters or involve a Finnish vessel. Owing to the insufficient nature of the information available from the authorities, the statistics in this publication, covering the last ten years, are based on information obtained from Lloyd s List Intelligence. In addition to national waters, Lloyd s statistics also cover the waters in the northern reaches of the Baltic Sea. The statistics relating to Finnish shipping companies A total of 14 accidents involving Finnish shipping companies was registered in Although this particular figure is the lowest in many years, these statistics also mark a growing long-term trend. Against this backdrop, it can be concluded that maritime safety has not developed along the desired lines in the last ten years. In addition, any rise in the number of accidents has traditionally been viewed as indicating a growing risk of serious accidents. Accidents by vessel type According to Trafi s records for 2012, a total of 35 accidents, classified as serious, involved shipping in Finland s territorial waters or vessels registered in Finland. Most such accidents involved bulk carriers (10) and passenger ships (7). The significant number of bulk carriers noted in the statistics is partly due to their large number. Furthermore, a great deal of work remains to be done in terms of the safety culture of many

13 Finnish Annual Maritime Safety Review Accidents occurring to vessels sailing in Finland s territorial waters or registered in Finland in 2012, broken down by vessel type Source: Trafi 6 % 20 % 12 % 3 %3 % 3 % 6 % 3 % 6 % 3 % 29 % 6 % Tugboat Icebreaker Fishing vessel Chemical tanker Container ship Dry bulk carrier Ro-ro cargo ship Passenger ship Ro-ro passenger ship Other vessel Barge Tanker Accidents in the northern Baltic Sea and Lake Saimaa in the period , broken down by vessel type Source: Lloyd s List Intelligene 2013 Vessel type Total Bulk carrier Chemical tanker Container ship Oil tanker Fishing vessel Barge Dry bulk carrier Icebreaker Passenger ship Ropax ship Product tanker Reefer 1 1 Ro-ro cargo ship Tugboat Other Total shipping companies engaged in the sector. In particular, crew fatigue and engine failures are major problems in the industry. Most passenger ships involved in accidents are engaged in domestic passenger traffic, a vessel category whose safety culture has repeatedly been criticised by the Safety Investigation Authority. According to inspectors, a safety culture does exist but is of varying quality and lacks guidelines that would specify a uniform minimum level. The above table presents the number of accidents in the period , broken down by vessel type. The rise in the number of accidents occurring to ro-ro passenger ships in particular can be regarded as a risk, in view of the serious nature of the potential consequences. Most accidents involved machinery failures, which may be attributable to the growing age of the vessel fleet, as well as the scant time set aside in tight schedules for vessel maintenance in the case of cruise and passenger vessels. Other common categories of accident include fires and collisions against quays. Accidents by type of event As in previous years, the most common accident type in 2012 was the grounding of vessels. Such accidents totalled 16. A typical example of such groundings is an accident that occurred on Finland s West Coast in February 2012, involving a bulk carrier running ashore on an island after an unsuccessful attempt at a turn. The consequences of this accident were limited to economic losses. The next most common accidents in the same year were vessel collisions (6) and collisions against quays and floating structures (6). Approximately 40 per cent of all of these accidents were attributable to human error, 26 per cent to a technical problem affecting the vessel and 11 per cent to difficult weather or ice conditions. Given the trends in different accident types in

14 14 Finnish Annual Maritime Safety Review 2013 Accidents involving vessels sailing in Finland s territorial waters or registered in Finland in 2012, broken down by event type Source: Trafi 6 % 17 % 6 % 46 % 17 % 8 % Vessel collision Machinery damage Grounding / bottom contact Damage to ship / equipment Contact / collision Fire / explosion Capsizing / listing Missing; presumed sunk Defect in the hull / watertight doors Related to the use of life-saving equipment Other Accidents in the northern Baltic Sea and Lake Saimaa in the period of , broken down by event type Source: Lloyd s List Intelligence , we can conclude that the number of machinery breakdowns in particular has increased over the last few years. The probable reason behind this is the growth in traffic volumes. Other contributing factors include inadequate skills, maintenance performed negligently for financial reasons and deficient guidelines. Regional distribution of accidents A total of 193 accidents were recorded in the northern Baltic Sea and Lake Saimaa in the period , according to Lloyd s List Intelligence. If the accidents in question are broken down according to the sea area in which they occurred, differences can be observed in the statistical distributions of the various accident types. The proportional distribution of the various sea areas in terms of the total number of accidents is given below, as are the most common accident types in each area. In addition, for each individual area, an accident scenario has been specified, based either on previous surveys or a Trafi estimate. The proportion of accidents occurring in the Gulf of Finland during the review period was 45 per cent. In particular, the number of incidents involving damage to machinery has increased, while vessel collisions and grounding show a slight decrease. This rise in damage to machinery may be partly due to an increase in traffic volumes in the Gulf of Finland. The increase in the number of collisions and groundings is probably due to intensified monitoring of sea traffic in the area (GOFREP) and the new traffic separation schemes. A grounding of an oil tanker in the area can be regarded as this area s accident scenario. The Finnish Environment Institute, an authority responsible for oil recovery in Finnish waters, has estimated that, in the worst-case scenario, two cargo holds of a tanker would be damaged, with approximately 30,000 tons of oil being discharged into the Gulf of Finland. Type of accident Total Vessel collisions Collision Fire/explosion Sinking Hull damage Machinery damage Other Grounding Total Over the same period, accidents in the Bothnian Sea and the Bothnian Bay accounted for a combined proportion totalling 29 per cent. The most common accidents in these waters involved damage to the vessels machinery. A probable reason for this is the harsh ice conditions in the area, which sometimes place vessels under considerable strain. Many vessels operating in the area are also rather old and this may be another contributing factor. Other accident types worth highlighting include vessel collisions, which mainly occur when ice breakers provide assistance to other vessels and whose consequences are limited to structural damage to the vessels involved. Trafi views the grounding of bulk carriers as the

15 Finnish Annual Maritime Safety Review principal accident scenario in these waters which could involve considerable environmental damage, depending on the amount of fuel and cargo carried by the vessel in question. The Sea of Åland and the Archipelago Sea accounted for a total of 22 per cent of the accidents that occurred during the period surveyed. Most accidents in these waters involved groundings, which can probably be attributed to geographical factors. The fairways in both areas are often winding and narrow, adding considerably to the navigation difficulties involved. In addition, in many places the margin of error when manoeuvring vessels is small, which may cause a vessel to run aground if its engines fail. The grounding of a passenger ship is generally regarded as the kind of accident scenario most readily applicable to these waters. Accidents in Finland s territorial waters or adjoining waters in the period Map data: National Land Survey of Finland 2013, accident data: Lloyd s List Intelligence 2013 Vessel collision Collision Fire / explosion Sinking Hull damage Machinery damage Grounding Other --- Straight territorial sea baseline The Saimaa Canal and its adjoining lake district accounted for 8 per cent of accidents. The small number of accidents reported may be attributable to the small traffic volumes in this area, as well as to the nature of the statistics used in this publication, which are incomplete, particularly with respect to inland waterways. When the accidents in Lake Saimaa are broken down by event type, it can be seen that most involve either a grounding or a collision against a quay or other fixed structure. One reason for this may be the fairways, which, due to both geographical factors and the technical solutions available, pose significant challenges to navigation. Other noteworthy, possible causes include special aspects affecting the obligation to use a pilot and the level of vessel traffic service in the Saimaa Lake District, which is not on a par with Finland s sea areas. According to Trafi s estimate, the grounding of a passenger ship engaged in domestic traffic is the principal accident scenario sketched out for Lake Saimaa.

16 16 Finnish Annual Maritime Safety Review 2013 Relationship between maritime accidents and man-years Sourcee: Trafi Vessels lost Source: IHS Fairplay WCS 2011 GT 400, , , , , , ,000 50,000 Age Risk associated with maritime professions In respect of Finns engaged in maritime professions we can see that, viewed solely from the perspective of maritime accidents, navigation is clearly safe for its practitioners. In other words, the survey does not cover other incidents occurring on vessels, such as slips of a kitchen knife, crew members slipping and falling on deck, or other work-related accidents. In 2012, the number of Finns engaged in maritime work consisted of 9,469 individuals, who worked 6,470 man-years in total. This translates into maritime accidents/man-year. According to the ship register, Finnish vessels are rather old. The average age of passenger ships is 55 years, that of tankers 26 and that of ro-ro passenger ships 30 years. The average age of the entire fleet is 46 years. In view of shipwrecks occurring around the world, Finland s aged fleet fares well. 0 Vessel collision Collision Fire / explosion Sinking Hull / machinery 0 GT, gross tonnage Age Photo: Vastavalo, Raimo Rosholm

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18 Photo: Shutterstock 18 Finnish Annual Maritime Safety Review 2013

19 Finnish Annual Maritime Safety Review Maritime accidents around the world Very serious maritime accidents According to IHS Fairplay statistics, maritime accidents classified as very serious decreased by 29 per cent worldwide in the period In 2012, such accidents totalled 132, which is 50 less than the five-year average of 182. In respect of trends in maritime transport volumes during the same period, the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) concluded that such volumes grew by approximately 13 per cent, when using cargo volume as the criterion. Part of this growth can be attributed to growth in vessel size, but the number of vessels has also grown by 6 per cent This was a historically low figure. Behind this positive development lies a reduction in the number of accidents involving oil tankers in particular. When trends in the safety of oil transport are examined, the conclusion is that safety improvements can largely be attributed to lessons learned from previous accidents. Not only have disastrous shipwrecks drawn extensive media coverage, they have also led to international conventions such as MARPOL, as well as to legislative packages including Erika I and Erika II issued by the EU commission, and to the Oil Pollution Act passed by the USA According to IHS Fairplay, 610 people perished in maritime accidents in During the last five year period, an average of 1,042 people succumbed to maritime accidents per year, although year-to-year fluctuations were significant. The largest number of fatalities, 3,214, was recorded in However, statistics on fatalities in maritime accidents are subject to high uncertainty factors. Depending on the source, the number of fatalities varies considerably, and in many cases never becomes clear. Total losses expressed in terms of the number of ships lost in the period , with the associated trend Source: IHS Fairplay According to ITOPF (the International Tanker Owners Pollution Federation Limited), the total volume of oil accidentally discharged into the seas was approximately 1,000 tons in

20 20 Finnish Annual Maritime Safety Review 2013 Total losses in the period , broken down by vessel type Source: IHS Fairplay 2013 Vessel type Total Gas tanker Chemical tanker Oil tanker Bulk carrier Dry bulk carrier Container ship Ro-ro cargo ship Passenger ship Fishing vessel Offshore vessel Tugboat Dredger Other ship Total Total losses in 2012, broken down by accident type Source: IHS Fairplay % 9 % % 8 % 3 % 17 % Vessel collision Collision Fire / explosion Sinking Hull / machinery damage Grounding Congress. The oil industry has also independently developed its own safety culture, as exemplified by the introduction of the system known as the vetting control system. Accidents broken down by vessel type On a global scale, most serious accidents in 2012 involved dry bulk carriers and fishing vessels. In proportion to the size of the fleet, dry bulk carriers were also subject to the highest number of accidents. However, the number of accidents involving such vessels has been on the decline in the last few years, probably owing to factors such as the intensification of port state control inspections and the rise in vessels scrap metal prices, which has led to a renewal of the fleet. Accidents involving fishing vessels have also decreased in number in the last few years. It is true that a share of accidents never come to the knowledge of the authorities, with the number of fatalities also remaining subject to guesswork. No clear trends are revealed by accident figures derived from companies engaged in risk-prone operations. Over a period of five years, most accidents involved dry bulk carriers (16), passenger ships (11) and oil tankers (9), when the criterion used was the average for the period. Incidents involving chemical tankers were recorded four times per year on average. The safest vessels were gas tankers, for which the corresponding figure was smaller than one. Accidents broken down by type The most common accident type in 2012 involved the sinking of a vessel. Such accidents numbered 51. The most famous case was probably that of the Costa Concordia, which ran aground on Italy s West Coast and sank in January A total of 32 people lost their lives in this accident. The sinking of a vessel is often accompanied by extraordinary weather conditions. The statistics also include several cases where a ship s cargo shifted in a storm, or a leak developed somewhere in the vessel s structure, resulting in the ship capsizing and eventually sinking. The next most common accidents in 2012 involved groundings, numbering 32 in total. Most groundings were caused by navigational errors or equipment defects of various kinds. Groundings surprisingly often involved an anchored ship. In our part of the world, the most famous case in this category was that of the oil tanker Kyeema Spirit, which ran aground off Tallinn in September %% Photo: Vastavalo, Tarja Hoikkala

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22 Photo: Mika Huisman 22 Finnish Annual Maritime Safety Review 2013

23 Finnish Annual Maritime Safety Review Regional distribution of accidents In 2012, most accidents classified as very serious occurred in Southeast Asia. In most cases, such accidents involved the sinking and grounding of cargo ships representing different vessel types and occurred in congested waters. Europe exhibited the second highest accident rate. Of the waters surrounding Europe, the Black Sea and the eastern reaches of the Mediterranean warrant special mention. Both have one of the highest traffic densities in the world, as does the North Sea, which is also plagued by harsh weather conditions. Accidents in these waters mainly comprise the sinking of fishing vessels and cargo ships, in addition to groundings, structural damage and collisions against quays and other fixed structures, involving various types of ship. Regional distribution of total losses and number of people perishing in maritime accidents in 2012 Source: IHS Fairplay /3 2/0 6/0 3/11 1/0 9/17 1/0 18/22 5/35 2/0 3/0 1/3 1/0 3/1 3/10 9/1 8/4 12/26 32/175 In the Baltic Sea, six serious accidents were recorded in These involved either ships running aground or sinking and mainly occurred in the Straits of Denmark. No such accidents were recorded in the northern Baltic Sea. 2/5 3/2 4/293 2/0 In 2012, most accidents involving fatalities occurred on the West Coast of Africa or in Southeast Asia. The most serious accident occurred off the coast of Zanzibar in April 2012, when the overloaded passenger ship Skagit capsized in a storm. A total of 81 people perished in this accident, with another 212 being reported missing. In the Baltic Sea, no accidents involving loss of life were recorded in /0 2/0

24 Photo: Shutterstock 24 Finnish Annual Maritime Safety Review 2013

25 Finnish Annual Maritime Safety Review International development From the statistics given above, we can draw the conclusion that, from a global perspective, maritime safety has improved in the last few years. Several factors have contributed to this positive development. A key factor affecting this trend is international and national regulations for maritime safety, which seek to prevent accidents and, where accidents occur, to minimise their consequences. Perhaps the most significant of these is the ILO Maritime Labour Convention, effective from While this Convention primarily seeks to improve seafarers working conditions, it is also expected to reduce the number of accidents attributable to exhaustion and work-related fatigue. However, it will take years before the real effects of the Convention become clear. Finland ratified the convention in January this year and it will enter into force in Finland in January Experience has shown that public action alone is inadequate in ensuring maritime safety and that ship owners safety cultures, and those of the ships themselves, must play a decisive role. In 1993, to improve safety thinking, principally based until then on professional pride and fear of the anticipated consequences of accidents, the IMO adopted a set of requirements known as the ISM Code. Since 1998, this code has been applied to all merchant vessels of 500 gross tonnage or more engaged on international voyages. With the adoption of the code, safety thinking has become more systematic and purpose-oriented than before. Research results have confirmed the code s positive impact. Although it is generally true that maritime safety has improved over the years, it should be noted that more than one thousand seafarers or passengers lose their lives every year at sea and that serious accidents occur at a rate of three per day on average. These figures conceal vast human suffering. In 2013, IMO set the ambitious target of halving the number of people perishing in maritime accidents by As an industry, shipping is fairly sensitive to economic fluctuations. This makes it unlikely that many long-term problems related to the undermanning, service and maintenance of ships will be solved any time soon. In practice, cost-saving measures are often applied to precisely these sensitive functions, which are critical from the safety viewpoint. Unfortunately, in many cases the conflict between safety and economy does not derive from a lack of economic resources but from underlying attitudes. Closer scrutiny reveals that current official activities regulating shipping are insufficient, with a great deal of work remaining to be done. Shipping nations still include states that are not fully committed to international conventions, or whose performance in the monitoring of such conventions is substandard. In addition to the current problems, developments in the maritime industry will introduce new threats. In particular, discussions often refer to growth in vessel size, along with the gradual disappearance of traditional maritime skills due to technological advances. Another much-debated topic focuses on the misuse of vessels technical equipment and the incompatibility of equipment made by different manufacturers. With respect to the proper use of equipment, it is important that shipowners provide their employees with the proper training. Integration problems between equipment are often due to lack of standardisation. The authorities should have greater power to address this. Photo: Mika Huisman

26 Photo: Mika Huisman 26 Finnish Annual Maritime Safety Review 2013

27 Finnish Annual Maritime Safety Review Port state control inspections Port state control inspections form an international control system for foreign vessels calling at the ports and anchorages of member states. While control measures are mainly directed at vessels in the high risk category, all vessels are inspected at least once every three years, in accordance with the control system s risk criteria. In Finland, port state control inspections are the responsibility of Trafi. A mandate to perform inspections is conferred by the Ship Safety Control Act (370/1995) and the Government Decree on Inspecting Foreign Ships in Finland (1241/2010). These statutes include the obligations and procedures of Directive 2009/16/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council on port State control, and the Paris Memorandum of Understanding. A general provision on inspections conducted by port states is included in the SOLAS Convention. Port state control inspections on Finnish vessels A total of 121 port state control inspections were carried out on Finnish vessels in the ports of Paris MoU member states in Most of these inspections were performed in Sweden (24), followed by Estonia (20) and Germany (20). The number of inspections in the period of was reduced by 43 per cent, but the number of vessels inspected remained almost unchanged (125/121). Most importantly, this is due to a new, risk-based approach, according to which individual vessels are not inspected as frequently as previously without good reason. With respect to port state control inspections, Finnish vessels have been detained an average of three times per year in the last few years. Reasons include missing certificates, deficiencies in the handling of fuel and lubricants, and defects detected in navigation and other instruments. Inspections on Port state control inspections conducted on Finnish vessels in the period Source: Paris MoU Inspections, qty Inspected vessels, qty Inspection / deviation Inspection / detention

28 28 Finnish Annual Maritime Safety Review 2013 Deficiencies detected in Finnish vessels during port state control inspections in the period , broken down by category Source: Paris MoU Alarm systems Crew s documents and certificates Cargo handling with associated equipment Other documents and certificates Ship s documents and certificates Emergency systems Fire safety ISM ISPS Life-saving equipment Marpol Annex I Marpol Annex IV Marpol Annex V Marpol Annex VI Propulsion and auxiliary machinery systems Radio equipment Navigation equipment Stability / structure Watertightness / weathertightness Living conditions Occupational safety Other Finnish vessels involving at least one recorded deviation from regulations fell by 56 per cent in the same period. In 2012, a total of 51 such breaches were recorded. In port state control inspections carried out in 2012, 197 deviations from regulations were recorded for Finnish vessels. As in previous years, the largest percentage of such deviations, approximately 22 per cent, were related to the vessels navigation instruments. This is also the largest category in international terms. The next most common category was deviations related to fire safety, which increased by 19 per cent over a period of three years. In contrast, deviations relating to occupational safety and life-saving equipment have decreased over the last few years. When scrutinising the deviation statistics, we should take account of the fact that some aspects of ship inspection going through the piping or checking the fuel, for example are difficult to perform in practice and that this may affect the statistics. Paris MoU classifies flag states into three separate risk categories: White, Grey and Black flag states. Such states are also ranked among themselves. In 2012, Finland was classified as a White Flag state with a ranking of 11th, which in itself can be regarded as a fairly good achievement. However, our ranking has fallen in recent years, and we will have to attend to this if we are to remain a reputable flag state. This adverse development is mainly a consequence of other flag states improving their performance in comparison to us.

29 Finnish Annual Maritime Safety Review Port state control inspections performed in Finland In Finland, a total of 283 foreign vessels were subjected to a port state control inspection in This amounts to less than 2 per cent of all inspections carried out in the Paris MoU area in Most vessels inspected in Finland were sailing under one of three different flags: that of the Netherlands (71), that of the Antigua and Barbuda (27) most of these vessels were German-owned and that of Russia (24). These flag states top positions in the inspection statistics are mainly due to the fact that their vessels frequently call at Finnish ports. With regard to the number of inspections, the development in Finland is similar to that in the other Paris MoU member states; the number of inspections has fallen by 46 per cent in the period of During inspections carried out in Finland, relatively few vessels were detained, the number varying between one and three per year. In 2012, of all inspected vessels in Finland detained vessels accounted for 0.35 per cent, while the average for the entire Paris MoU area in the same year was 3.66 per cent. The difference can be ascribed to either problems related to the harmonisation of the port state control inspection process a much discussed topic in and outside Finland or to the fact that vessels and their crews calling at Finnish ports are better than average at meeting requirements. In all likelihood, both factors account for the difference. Typical reasons for a vessel being detained at a Finnish port include missing certificates and other documents and defects detected in the vessel s structure or equipment. In every case, the detained vessel was a bulk carrier. In port state control inspections performed in Finland, a total of 175 notifications of different types were issued to vessels Photo: Trafi

30 30 Finnish Annual Maritime Safety Review 2013 Port state control inspections performed in Finnish ports, including their distribution in the period Source: Paris MoU 2013 Deficiencies detected in Finnish vessels during port state control inspections in the period , broken down by category Source: Paris MoU Inspections, qty Inspected vessels, qty Inspection / deviation Inspection / detention Alarm systems Cargo handling with associated equipment Crew s documents and certificates Other documents and certificates Ship s documents and certificates Dangerous goods Emergency systems Fire safety ISM ISPS Life-saving equipment Marpol Annex I Marpol Annex IV Marpol Annex V Marpol Annex VI Propulsion and auxiliary machinery systems Radio equipment Navigation equipment Stability / structure Watertightness / weathertightness Living conditions Occupational safety Other in A total of 66 per cent of inspected vessels were free of defects. The number of notifications exceeded the average for the Paris MoU area, which was 43 per cent, by 23 per cent. Of deviations registered in Finland, 19 per cent related to navigation equipment and instruments, 16 per cent to fire safety and 9 per cent to life-saving equipment. With respect to the total number of deviations, a decline of 57 per cent was registered during the period surveyed. Risk categories of vessels calling at ports The Paris Memorandum of Understanding (Paris MoU) specifies criteria based on which vessels are classified into three separate risk categories. Seven criteria have been specified for vessels, most of which are dynamic: 1. type 2. age 3. flag state 4. classification society 5. owner 6. number of deviations registered 7. number of detentions registered A certain weighting is allocated to each criterion, whose sum is then used to assign a certain risk profile to a vessel on a daily basis. High Risk Ships (HRS) refer to ships whose risk profile carries a value of five or more. For example, a ship that is aged 12 years or more and is operated by a company whose performance, on the basis of port state control inspections carried out on its ships, is classified as low, provides a typical example of High Risk Ships. By definition, Standard Risk Ships (SRS) are ships that fall neither into the High Risk nor the Low Risk category. For

31 Finnish Annual Maritime Safety Review example, a typical example of such a ship would be one that is younger than 12 years and whose flag state is on the White list. By definition, the Low Risk Ships (LRS) category comprises ships that meet the requirements set for this classification and that have been subject to at least one port state control inspection during the last three years. A ro-ro passenger ship whose flag state is on the White list and whose rating is performed by a registered organisation is a typical example of such ships. Vessel traffic to and from Finnish ports, and vessels risk categories Statistics on ports chiefly reflect the volume of cargo handled, or the number of port calls. In 2012, the volume of international transportation to and from Finnish ports amounted to 93 million tons, with Sköldvik accounting for 21 per cent, Hamina-Kotka 14 per cent, Helsinki 11 per cent, Kokkola 7 per cent and Rauma 6 per cent of this total. In the same year, a total of 34,675 port calls were registered for Finnish ports, distributed between 1,579 different vessels. Ports with the largest volumes of vessel traffic included Helsinki (8,621), Mariehamn (5,322), Hamina-Kotka (2,699), Turku (2,178) and Naantali (1,708). Broken down by vessel type, ro-ro passenger ships accounted for 46 per cent, dry bulk carriers 19 per cent and ro-ro cargo ships 11 per cent for all port calls. The majority of ships (17,873 in total, 51.5 per cent) calling at Finnish ports in 2012 were classified at the time as Low Risk Ships. Based on this, it can be concluded that ships making calls at Finnish ports are generally in good repair and manned according to the regulations of their flag states. Analysed by ship type, ro-ro passenger ships accounted for 62 per cent, chemical tankers 7 per cent and high-speed passenger ships for 7 per cent of Low Risk Ships. In most cases, shipping companies operating either passenger or oil transportation services have an above-average safety culture. In these sectors of maritime traffic, realisation of risks typically has very serious consequences. Among the major Finnish ports principally frequented by Low Risk Ships are Helsinki, Mariehamn and Turku all of which are busy cruise and passenger ship ports and Sköldvik, Finland s largest oil port. Traffic to and from Finland s neighbour, Estonia, mainly involves ships with a low risk classification. The second most numerous category of ships calling at Finnish ports in 2012 comprised Standard Risk Ships, totalling 16,072 (46.3 per cent). Of these, 34 per cent were bulk carriers, 28 per cent were ro-ro passenger ships and 13 per cent were roro cargo ships. Large, noteworthy ports mainly frequented by ships in this risk category include Hamina-Kotka and Rauma, both key ports for the Finnish forestry industry, and Kokkola, an important port for the metal industry. Typical factors with a negative effect on a ship s risk classification especially on that of cargo ships include the ship s age and any deviations recorded in port state control inspections. Shipping companies engaged in cargo transport often allocate fairly limited resources to safety work, which has consequences not only for the risk classification of such companies but also for their ships. An analysis of sea traffic among Finland s neighbouring countries reveals that most traffic to and from Swedish and Russian ports in the northern Baltic Sea comprises Standard Risk Ships. Totalling 38 (0.1 per cent), High Risk Ships clearly accounted for the smallest risk category in Finland in Of these, 50 per cent were passenger ships, 18 per cent were classified as Number of port calls in 2012, broken down by vessel type Source: EMSA ,000 14,000 12,000 10,000 8,000 6,000 4,000 2,000 0 Ro-ro passenger ship Dry bulk carrier The relative proportions of vessel risk categories in 2012 Source: EMSA Ro-ro passenger ship Dry bulk carrier No designated risk category Low Risk Ship Ro-ro cargo ship Container ship Chemical tanker High-speed craft Passenger ship Other Oil tanker Bulk carrier Gas tanker NLS tanker Tugboat Special-purpose ship Heavy load carrier Offshore vessel Ro-ro cargo ship Container ship Chemical tanker High-speed craft Passenger ship Other Oil tanker Bulk carrier Gas tanker Standard Risk Ship High Risk Ship NLS tanker Tugboat Special-purpose ship Heavy load carrier Offshore vessel

32 32 Finnish Annual Maritime Safety Review 2013 Risk profiles of ships calling at Finnish ports in 2012 Source: EMSA ,000 8,000 7,000 6,000 5,000 4,000 3,000 2,000 1,000 0 Eckerö Eurajoki No designated risk category Low Risk Ship Farjsund Förby Godby Hanko Helsinki Imatra Inkoo Joensuu Joutseno Standard Risk Ship High Risk Ship other ships and 16 per cent were dry bulk carriers. Most port calls by ships in this category were recorded for Helsinki and Hamina-Kotka. A passenger ship calling at Helsinki in May 2012 represents a typical example of a High Risk category. Aged more than 12 years, a significant number of deviations of various kinds, detected during port state control inspections, were recorded for this ship. The remaining 692 port calls were made by ships with no risk profile. For the entire northern Baltic Sea, Kalajoki Kantvik Kaskinen Kemi Kemiö Kitee Kokkola Kotka Koverhar Kristiinankaupunki Kuopio Lappeenranta only 157 High Risk Ships were registered, with the number of ships with no risk profile numbering 1,161. As a general rule, the ice breaking season begins in early January and continues until late April. Traffic in this period accounted for approximately 30 per cent of the total traffic volume in 2012, measured by the number of port calls. When the ice breaking season is compared with the open water Lappohja Loviisa Långnäs Mariehamn Merikarvia Naantali Nauvo Oulu Parainen Pietarsaari Pohjankuru Pori Porvoo Raahe Rauma Ristiina Salo Savonlinna Siilinjärvi Sipoo Skogby Sköldvik Taalintehdas Teijo Tolkkinen Tornio Turku Uusikaupunki Vaasa Varkaus season in this context, the end of the year differences emerge in the distribution of ships across different risk categories. Based on the statistics for 2012, the number of Standard Risk Ships during the ice breaking season was 17 per cent higher compared with the open water season. In other words, during the open water season, ships generally exhibited lower risk profiles. This is partly due to a change in the proportion of different ship types: during the ice breaking

33 Finnish Annual Maritime Safety Review Tornio Kemi The total volume of traffic to and from Finnish ports in 2012 as measured by the number of port calls, including the distribution of risk profiles of vessels calling at the largest ports Map data: National Land Survey of Finland 2013, port data: EMSA ,200 No designated risk category Low Risk Ship Standard Risk Ship High Risk Ship Raahe Oulu Kokkola Pietarsaari Vaasa Kaskinen Photo: Vastavalo, Matti Salminen Pori season, the proportion of cargo ships grows. However, this is not the only reason. Minor changes can be detected when these figures are broken down by vessel type, indicating that in wintertime a larger proportion consists of standard type vessels, which are rather old. Rauma Uusikaupunki Naantali Helsinki Sköldvik Lappeenranta Imatra Turku Loviisa Kotka Mariehamn Hanko Inkoo

34 34 Finnish Annual Maritime Safety Review 2013 Ship surveys Trafi s statutory duties include ship surveys. In accordance with the Act on the Technical Safety and Safe Operation of Ships (1686/2009), an initial survey must be conducted on ships: 1) before they enter into service as Finnish ships, and, 2) before they enter into service after substantial alterations to their machinery or hull. In 2012, Trafi conducted 1,566 ship surveys in total. Most survey measures consist of annual and renewal surveys, which are typically performed during the open water season. Seasonal peak periods occur in the spring, when the thaw sets in and the navigation season begins. Almost one third 27 per cent of the ship surveys affected passenger ships, with tugboats and barges being the second largest categories, both accounting for approximately 8 per cent of the total. Photo: Trafi

35 Finnish Annual Maritime Safety Review A significant proportion of the defects were related to radio equipment. The number of defects detected was considerable, almost equalling that of the surveys themselves. Yet radio equipment constitutes the very devices that are used to call for assistance or to communicate one s intentions or information on exceptional conditions or hazards to other seafarers. It is, therefore, safe to conclude that regulatory control is required in order to ensure that vessels radio equipment is in proper working order and functions properly. Furthermore, should the situation at sea take an undesirable turn, life-saving equipment should be in good working order. Yet over 700 defects were detected in such equipment in It is obvious that if both these safety arrangements fail simultaneously, seafarers who fall overboard are much less likely to survive. Regional distribution of ship surveys Source: Trafi Southern Northern Western Eastern Survey measures broken down by category in 2012 Source: Trafi Ship surveys conducted by Trafi, broken down by traffic area Source: Trafi Domestic waters I Domestic waters II Domestic waters III Baltic Sea Near-coastal voyages European trade World-wide trade Catch area I Catch area II Catch area III Class A ships Class B ships Class C ships Class D ships Defects detected by Trafi in ship surveys Source: Trafi 1,600 1,400 1, , Initial survey Periodic Intermediate Annual Renewal Extraordinary survey Audit Survey of radio equipment Several surveys Alarm system Fire protection and fire safety Stability and structure Propulsion systems and machinery Life-saving equipment Radio equipment Navigation equipment Functional deviations ISM deviations ISPS deviations AFS deviations MARPOL STCW Load line ILO Documents and certificates / exemptions Ship pharmacy Nautical publications, charts Other

36 Photo: Mika Huisman 36 Finnish Annual Maritime Safety Review 2013

37 Finnish Annual Maritime Safety Review Certification Medical fitness Regulatory tasks related to certification are statutory and principally based on international conventions. In terms of their physical form and appearance, ships certificates, including seafarers certificates of competency and proficiency, comply with international standards. The grounds for the issuance of such certificates have also been harmonised. In 2012, Trafi granted 599 safety documents. Administrative decisions relating to the protection of the marine environment numbered 468. The number of international and national tonnage certificates granted amounted to 608, with the number of approved stability documents numbering 55. Trafi approved a total of 108 security documents relating to security measures for ships, ports and port facilities. The number of certificates of competency and proficiency issued by Trafi for seafarers amounted to 3,240. International regulation allows for an occasional exemption from requirements, in a manner determined by the national administration. Such deliberations occurred 195 times in Most maritime accidents (approx. 80 per cent) involved human activity as a contributing factor. The capability of individuals to perform their duties including functioning under exceptional circumstances is determined by their suitability for the profession in question, and by their training, experience, attitude toward safety, and various other factors relating to their health and general ability to function. In addition to the factors listed above, an individual s ability to function is fundamentally determined by organisational policies, including the safety culture and working arrangements. Seafarer s health and working capacity are assessed upon their entry into the trade and repeatedly during their careers. Such assessments focus on health and ensuring the individual s safe ability to function. National and international regulations governing shipping specify requirements for seafarers health and functional capacity. Holding a valid seafarer s medical examination certificate is a prerequisite for working on board a ship. The health of seafarers is examined by designated seafarers health centres and duly qualified medical practitioners. Finland has 12 seafarers health centres and 394 medical practitioners recognized by Trafi. On a year-to-year basis, more than 4,000 medical examinations of seafarers are conducted in Finland. If the seafarer does not fulfil the health requirements set for his duties, he may apply to Trafi s Traffic Medicine Unit for an exemption. In 2012, Trafi received 234 such applications, 163 of which were accepted. Exemption decisions impose conditions on monitoring of the applicant s health and operational limitations. Trafi and the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health examine the functionality and development needs of the medical system under which recognized medical practitioners work. The SeaFit research project, in turn, is investigating what requirements should be set for the health of seafarers working under exceptional conditions. Seafarers work at all times of the day and night, in conflict with the natural human circadian rhythm. The essential point hereby is that all parties involved in shipping seafarers, shipping companies and medical practitioners recognise fatigue as a safety risk and include fatigue management as part of normal safety policy. Photo: Mika Huisman

38 38 Finnish Annual Maritime Safety Review 2013 Photo: Vastavalo, Timo Kuparinen

39 Finnish Annual Maritime Safety Review Pilotage and vessel traffic management Pilotage means activities related to the navigation of vessels in which the pilot acts as an advisor to the master of the vessel and as an expert on local waters and their navigation. The Pilotage Act states that the purpose of pilotage is to enhance the safety of vessel traffic and prevent environmental damage by vessel traffic. Pilotage is provided in compulsory pilotage areas in Finnish waters and in the part of the Saimaa Canal leased by Finland. More than one thousand such areas has been specified. Pilotage services in Finland are provided by a state-owned company called Finnpilot Pilotage Ltd. Vessel traffic is marshalled to ensure the safe and smooth navigation of vessels. The aim of this is to prevent traffic congestion as well as hazardous situations arising from vessels meeting or overtaking each other. Vessels of 24 metres in length or more are obliged to participate in vessel traffic services. In Finland, vessel traffic services (VTS services) are operated by the Finnish Transport Agency. In 2012, VTS centres reported a total of 166 breaches of or deviations from traffic separation schemes; 26 navigational errors where a VTS had to contact a vessel in order to steer it out of harm s way and prevent an accident; 29 breaches of the vessel s reporting obligation, and 6 irregularities involving a pilot boarding or leaving a vessel. Pilotage assignments in Source: Finnpilot Pilotage Ltd 2013 Pilotage assignments, qty Estimate for 2013 Kotka 6,198 6,293 5,156 4,711 Helsinki 5,799 5,867 5,597 5,156 Sea of Archipelago 4,466 4,706 3,838 3,571 Bothnian Sea 4,206 4,347 3,666 3,551 Bothnian Bay 5,094 4,867 4,820 4,744 Lake Saimaa 3,582 3,921 4,014 4,166 Total 29,345 30,001 27,091 25,899 Finnpilot Pilotage Ltd began to measure the effectiveness of pilotage on 1 November Measurement of pilotage effectiveness involves making observations of deviations that occur during a pilotage assignment. Such deviations may relate to the vessel under pilotage or factors external to the vessel. Based on such measurements, it can be concluded that approximately every third pilotage assignment involves a deviation. In addition to observations on deviations, the measurer records any measures taken by the pilot to eliminate deviations or their effects. Coupled with the measures taken to deal with them, such deviations reveal the degree to which pilotage has contributed to navigation safety. Measured in euros, the value of additional safety can be determined on the basis of the average cost of accidents. The value of added safety can then be compared with pilotage fees, providing a basis for determining the amount of safety provided by each euro invested in pilotage. In late 2012 and early 2013, one euro invested in pilotage translated into safety worth approximately 5 to 10 euros. From late 2012 until the spring of 2013, a total of 9,710 pilotage assignments were completed, with 2,540 deviations detected during these operations. In the same period, 41 serious accidents (cost in excess of 1 million euros), 58 minor accidents, 141 near misses and 696 unsafe acts were prevented. During the last winter, the most common observations on vessel-related deviations were: 1. inadequate skills in manoeuvring the vessel in winter conditions, qty defects in the functioning of steering propellers, qty inadequate skills in manoeuvring the vessel, qty inadequate harbour icebreaking, qty inadequate skills in berthing/unberthing the vessel, qty 69 Deterioration of crew skills in dealing with winter conditions

40 40 Finnish Annual Maritime Safety Review 2013 Photo: Vastavalo, Sassa Stenroos is a trend. While no numerical evidence on this exists, the recently begun measurement of the effectiveness of pilotage has provided support for similar, long-held views among pilots. The year 2013 will see continued efforts towards developing improved reporting practices on effectiveness. Agreements have been drafted on the handover of material to the authorities and research institutes. During 2013, the Centre for Maritime Studies in Turku (MKK) will also carry out a research project on the effectiveness of pilotage. This research will be based on material obtained from various sources, including Finnpilot. Use of ship simulators in pilotage The Pilotage Act was amended in A key amendment was the inclusion of the Pilotage Exemption Certificate examination in English, effective from July While the introduction of English significantly increased the number of exemptions from the obligation to use pilotage services, it also created safety risks. In order to minimise such risks, stricter training requirements were stipulated for masters and mates applying for exemptions. Examinations performed using a ship-handling simulator were also made mandatory for pilots and deck officers applying for exemptions. Such examinations are arranged by maritime polytechnics in Finland: Satakunta University of Applied Sciences, Aboa Mare and Högskolan på Åland. In 2012, a total of approximately 200 examinations were conducted. Given the information now available, it is difficult to assess whether the introduction of the Pilotage Exemption Certificate examination in English has increased the risk of accidents in Finnish coastal waters, or whether sufficient measures have been taken to reduce such risks. However, statistics indicate that maritime accidents have not increased as a result of the examination s being in English. The European Union is exploring the possibility of making exemptions from the obligation to use pilotage easier to obtain in all member countries. Many member states have shown interest in Finland s experiences of using ship handling simulators in examinations related to pilotage. After any deficiencies detected in trials have been corrected, our practices could be adopted on a larger scale in the Union, if deemed necessary. They could also be developed in a more risk-sensitive direction, using risk analyses obtained from deviation reports produced by Finnpilot Pilotage Oy.

41 Photo: Vastavalo, Sami Kiuru Finnish Annual Maritime Safety Review

42 42 Finnish Annual Maritime Safety Review 2013 Port security Port security measures are based on the regulations included in the international SOLAS convention and the related ISPS Code. The Code has been implemented in EU member states by Regulation (EC) No 725/2004 of the European Parliament and of the Council on enhancing ship and port facility security. Within the EU area, this regulation also renders compulsory a large number of the recommendations included in part B of the original ISPS Code. Directive 2005/65/EC on enhancing port security is applied to ports that have one or more port facilities subject to a port facility security plan, approved under the provisions of Regulation (EC) No 725/2004. To enable the application of the directive, Trafi determines the perimeter of each port, based on a security assessment. At the moment, a total of 117 port facilities, all with an approved security plan, fall under the scope of these regulations. By and large, the current security certificates of the port facilities are valid until 2014 or Security assessments that comply with Regulation (EC) No 725/2004 will begin in May 2014, to be repeated thereafter every five years. The provisions of Directive 2005/65 are applied to 12 ports, including 48 port facilities. Most security assessments were conducted in 2007 and 2008, in accordance with the directive. Re-assessments will be conducted beginning in 2014, with the assessments being harmonised with those complying with Regulation (EC) No 725/2004. In accordance with Regulation (EC) No 324/2008, the Commission conducted an inspection in Finland in 2012, the focus of which was on port security. Responses to the observations mentioned in the assessment were submitted by the given deadline, with the development of the operations continuing in line with the feedback received. Under Regulation (EC) No 725/2004, the Commission provides assistance to the MARSEC committee (the Maritime Security Committee), which is principally tasked with the implementation of the ISPS Code under Regulation (EC) No 725/2004 and Directive 2005/65/EC, as well as with its interpretation and monitoring. Photo: Mika Huisman

43 Finnish Annual Maritime Safety Review Transport of dangerous goods by sea Legislation regulating environmental protection in Finnish shipping is principally based on the MARPOL Convention and the Helsinki Convention (1992), a convention entered into by the Baltic Sea states for the protection of the Baltic Sea. The European Union has also issued certain regulations and directives regulating shipping within the EU. Conventions and directives have been implemented in Finland by the Act on Environmental Protection in Maritime Transport and the accompanying government decree. By contrast, the regulations issued by the European Union are binding on member states as such, without the need for such states to formally enact national legislation in order to adopt the regulations. If vessels leaving or arriving at Finnish ports carry oil, chemicals or gas in bulk, or if they carry dangerous goods in packaged form, they must declare their cargo to the authorities. Such declarations are entered into the PortNet information system. A notification of a port call and any hazardous cargo that the vessel is carrying must be submitted no later than 24 hours before the vessel arrives at a Finnish port. The notification of cargo must be submitted within an hour of the ship s berthing. Solid bulk cargoes, bulk liquids and gases The regulation on solid bulk cargo seeks to ensure safe, environmentally friendly and smooth transportation of solid, dangerous or harmful substances. Key international regulations include the SOLAS Convention and the IMSBC Code, which provide an international framework for the regulation of vessels structures and solutions. The International Maritime Organisation adopted a resolution in December 2008, according to which the first mandatory amendments to the IMSBC Code, focusing on international vessel transport of solid bulk cargo, would become effective at the beginning of January The IMSBC Code applies to all solid bulk cargo transported by bulk carriers, with the exception of grain. The regulation on bulk gases seeks to ensure safe, environmentally friendly and smooth transportation of gases in bulk. Key international regulations include the SOLAS Convention and the IGC, IG and egc Codes, which provide an international framework for the regulation of vessels structures and solutions. Packaged dangerous goods The regulation seeks to ensure safe and smooth transportation of packaged dangerous goods, based on an approach which is environmentally friendly to the marine environment. Key international regulations include the SOLAS and MARPOL Conventions, the IMDG Code and the Act on Transport of Dangerous Goods. Dangerous goods are divided into eight main classes. The ninth class consists of other dangerous goods and objects. Based on the extent of the danger they pose, these classes are divided into packing groups I, II and III, of which group I is the most dangerous. Photo: Mika Huisman

44 44 Finnish Annual Maritime Safety Review 2013 The Baltic Sea Memorandum of Understanding The Baltic Sea Memorandum of Understanding, which addresses limited ro-ro transportation of packaged dangerous goods in the Baltic Sea, specifies a framework under which dangerous goods can be classified, packaged, labelled and documented either in accordance with the ADR and RID Agreements concerning the international carriage of dangerous goods, or the IMDG Code. The memorandum covers the entire Baltic Sea, but in low wave-height areas the RID/ADR Agreement can be applied in larger scope. Shipping companies may apply the regulations set forth in the Memorandum of Understanding to limited ro-ro traffic in the Baltic Sea, the Gulf of Bothnia, the Gulf of Finland and at the entrance to the Baltic Sea, provided that such companies fulfil the requirements set in the Memorandum for crew training and other similar preconditions. The crew of a ship assigned to carry dangerous goods must be sufficiently familiar with the ADR and RID regulations, as the Memorandum requires. Containers with a type approval for land transport may be carried on the entire Baltic Sea, and other packages with an ADR type approval in areas with a low wave height. If necessary, the consignor is obliged to indicate, through the application of appropriate markings, that the cargo poses a danger to the marine environment, in addition to marking the cargo with the RID/ADR markings. The Baltic Sea Memorandum of Understanding is applied to the following sea routes originating in Finland: Helsinki Tallinn/Muuga Naantali Kapellskär Turku Stockholm Vaasa Härnösand Vaasa Umeå Monitoring of the transport of dangerous goods, including any findings related to such transport Sea transports are monitored both in ports and on vessels. The competent authority is Trafi. Trafi has no continuous contact with the safety advisers of ports or vessels; if necessary, Trafi contacts the involved parties on a case-by-case basis. In practice, authorities supervisory efforts with respect to dangerous goods transported by sea are largely performed in ports. Monitoring of transportation of dangerous goods is also conducted within task groups formed by the various authorities. In the marine operating environment, the nucleus of such groups is formed by Trafi, the Police, the Border Guard, the Customs and the occupational safety authorities. Co-operation is also carried out at international level: intensified monitoring is conducted alongside all of the Baltic Sea countries at the agreed times. Such efforts may take on a local colouring, as is the case with the Finnish province of Uusimaa, where a port monitoring group was established, based on voluntary participation alongside representatives of the following organisations: Trafi (chairman) (ship inspections) Fire and Rescue Services (accident prevention) Helsinki Police Department, Traffic and Special Police National Traffic Police (Southern Division) Port authorities Customs (container inspection) Occupational Safety District Operators. Finland has reported the results of such inspections to the IMO. In the course of a single year, 263 cargo units were inspected, 63 of which showed defects. This means that one quarter of cargo units failed to fulfil the regulations. Most defects were related to failure to secure cargo in a safe manner. In light of the inspection results, it appears that 20 per cent of cargo units are defective in this respect, which poses a risk to the entire transport chain. The remainder of the defects related to defective packing and markings.

45 Photo: Vastavalo, Kaj Skön Finnish Annual Maritime Safety Review

46 46 Finnish Annual Maritime Safety Review 2013 Photo: Vastavalo, Mari Hirsikallio

47 Finnish Annual Maritime Safety Review Environmental legislation becoming increasingly stringent comprehensive revision of Annex V of the MARPOL Convention and the assessment of its impact The comprehensive revision of Annex V of the MARPOL Convention entered into force internationally on 1 January In Finland, adoption of the Convention has been delayed. The Finnish government s proposal, compliant with the revised Annex V of the MARPOL Convention, is intended to be put before Parliament during The revision of Annex V is part of a larger set of international standards, all of which are increasingly rigorous and focus on the negative environmental impact of shipping. In late 2012, Trafi assessed the impact of this legislative change especially of that of the tightening of regulations concerning solid bulk cargo residues and cargo hold wash water on Finnish shipping and economic life. Content of the legislative change With the revision of Annex V of the MARPOL Convention, solid bulk cargo residues, including in accordance with the new definition cargo hold wash water, must be discharged into ports reception facilities in special areas, if the bulk cargo in question has been classified as harmful to the marine environment. The Baltic Sea is one of these special areas. However, the amendment provides an exception according to which a ship under way may discharge tank washings containing residues from cargo classified as harmless, if the ship is at least 12 nautical miles from the closest shoreline or ice shelf and if the ship s port of departure and arrival are located in a special area and no reception facilities are available at these ports. However, cargo residues and wash water classified as harmless to the marine environment may not be discharged into the sea while the vessel is in port. Current status A review conducted by Trafi in 2010 found that, until then, Finland had lacked harmonised practices for the washing of vessels cargo holds after their solid bulk cargo had been unloaded. While many ports take action to limit wash water discharges into harbour basins, the possibilities for large-scale reception remain scant. Assessment of the impacts was therefore based on the assumption that more stringent legislation will have far-reaching impacts on the entire industry s procedures and practices. Finland s largest bulk ports are Kokkola, Raahe and Pori. The most important bulk imports are coal and coke. In 2011, imports of such products to Finland amounted to 7.4 million tons. Key export countries included Russia, Latvia and the USA. The most significant bulk exports comprise ores and concentrates. In 2011, a total of 5.2 million tons of these products were exported from Finland by sea. This figure makes up approximately 60 per cent of Finland s bulk cargo exports. The most important countries of destination were China, Great Britain and Italy. Bulk carriers that frequently call at Finnish ports mainly comprise vessels falling into the panamax and handysize classes. A trend in the construction of bulk carriers involves building cargo holds with straight walls, thus simplifying the

48 48 Finnish Annual Maritime Safety Review 2013 unloading of cargo and cleaning of the hold for the next cargo. However, a large number of vessels in traffic still have cargo holds with exposed stiffeners. Cleaning cargo residues out of such ships is often a slow and difficult task. Consumption of wash water is always greater where the situation calls for its use. Assessing the indirect and direct impacts of the legislative change A challenge to assessing the impacts of the MARPOL Annex V revision, as well as to compliance with the new set of regulations, lies in the lack of a binding system for classification by harmfulness posed to the marine environment by solid bulk cargo. The final classification system will become effective on 1 January As a temporary arrangement, the shipper is obliged to classify its cargo in accordance with the criteria laid down in the guidelines of an IMO circular. It has been found that lack of a classification system makes a considerable difference to the assessment of the legislative change s impact at this stage. The environmental impacts of the legislative change are by and large positive. The direct economic impact will chiefly fall on ports, shipping companies and companies that use raw material shipped as solid bulk in their production, as well as on industrial enterprises that manufacture such material. Its indirect impact will fall on technology companies, companies offering washing services and authorities. not be considered a negative expenditure only: services generating added value are one of the key factors in a port s competitiveness. This being the case, such an environmental investment can be regarded as profitable in the long term. The legislative change will also have an immediate impact on shipping companies operations. In the foreseeable future, charges paid by ships for waste disposal services will be raised and the duration of port calls will lengthen, imposing additional costs on shipping companies and, consequently, raising freight rates. A longer time in port also entails a longer transportation time. However, competition in the freight market may provide an incentive for shipping companies to develop filtering systems that can be installed on vessels, especially on those still on the drawing board. However, filtering systems and their adoption will require amendments to the Convention. This legislative change will raise transport costs both for industrial enterprises that use raw materials shipped as solid bulk cargo and for companies manufacturing products shipped as bulk cargo. In the future, the costs and responsibilities associated with washing should be agreed in contracts of carriage. When renewing standard clauses relating to the different types of chartering, it is important to pay due attention to issues related to the cleaning of cargo holds and the provision of clear definitions of responsibilities and payment obligations. applied to special areas in addition to the Baltic, as stipulated by the amendment to MARPOL Annex V, the market for such technologies is set to grow. This will give Finnish companies the opportunity to become competitive in the international market. Well-functioning competition will encourage companies to develop new products and services, which will lead to lower consumer prices. In terms of the observance and monitoring of the revised Annex V of the MARPOL Convention, cooperation between the authorities (the Ministry of Transport and Communications, the Ministry of the Environment, the Centres for Economic Development, Transport and the Environment and Trafi) and the distribution of monitoring responsibilities still require clarification. The current legislation relating to ports waste management plans may also require updating. With regard to inspectors performing port state control inspections, Trafi recommends that their training be made comprehensive with respect to monitoring of compliance with the MARPOL Convention. Potential causal relationships The impact assessment found a close link between financial impacts and reactions to new requirements by various players. As a general rule, the increasingly stringent legislation can be expected to provide an incentive to intensify and develop various functions. More efficient mechanical cleaning of cargo holds and the recovery of residues are viewed as the most likely causal relationships. The impact on the various actors has been assessed as follows: Ports are obliged to organise the reception of cargo residues and wash water. At present, investment in fixed reception facilities is not deemed economically feasible. The investment cost deriving from arranging a reception facility should The legislative change will open up markets for technology companies developing reception facilities and filtering systems for wash water, as well as for providers of washing services. As regulation intensifies, demand is rising for green technology and product development by cleantech companies. Furthermore, with stringent regulation being Means to this end include vessel design (cargo holds with straight walls), enhanced brushing and suction techniques, use of pressure washers operating based on fresh water, and modern loading techniques (for example, bulk containers and flexible IBCs). This will reduce the amount of wash water required, which in turn will lower the costs of reception and

49 Finnish Annual Maritime Safety Review speed up the treatment of wash water, thereby diminishing the requirements set for ports reception capacity. Innovation and the development of technologies relating to the reception of wash water (for example, filtering systems) are also viewed as likely solutions to the requirements set by increasingly stringent regulation. Adjusting to this situation will require a change in the mindset of every party involved in shipping, if the negative environmental impact of this mode of transport is to be reduced in the future. Photo: Shutterstock

50 50 Finnish Annual Maritime Safety Review 2013 Photo: Vastavalo, Sampo Kiviniemi

51 Finnish Annual Maritime Safety Review Recreational boating Accidents in waterborne traffic in Source: Statistics Finland 2013 Total Fatal Finnish waters Finnish inland waters Foreign waters Commercial services Recreational boating ,000 1,200 1,400 1,600 1, Regarding safety in recreational boating, the year 2012 showed a positive development. The safety trend was positive, with a 22 per cent reduction in fatalities. Nevertheless, 42 people lost their lives in boating accidents. In 39 cases (93 per cent) the cause of the accident was either listing of the boat or loss of stability. These accidents had two causes: human error in 31 cases (74 per cent) and alcohol in 11 cases (26 per cent). Broken down by boat type, most fatal accidents affected motor boats (26) and rowing boats (14). Broken down by region, accidents were concentrated in inland waterways, notably in North Karelia, Etelä-Savo and Central Finland. As a general rule, it appears that the greater the number of boaters in a specific area, the smaller the number of serious accidents. The explanation for this may lie in the boating culture, which tends to develop with growing volumes,

52 52 Finnish Annual Maritime Safety Review positive interaction and the availability of peer support and assistance. The number of boating accidents amounted to 1,321. Most accidents affected motor boats and sailing boats. The key issue is to note the difference between the total number of fatal accidents and the number of accidents affecting rowing boats and dinghies. Of motor boat accidents, 3 per cent were fatal. Of rowing boat accidents, 24 per cent ended in fatalities. Equally important is the low proportion of sailing boats involved in fatal accidents. It appears safe to say that safety work related to Finnish boating should be directed at people who engage in boating at their summer cottages, using rowing boats Fatalities in waterborne traffic, broken down by area Source: Statistics Finland Gulf of Bothnia 02 Archipelago Sea 03 Gulf of Finland 04 Kokemäenjoki watercourse 05 Kymijoki watercourse 06 Oulujoki watercourse 07 Vuoksi watercourse 08 Other inland waterways - south-southeast 09 Other inland waterways - north 10 International sea areas Vessels engaged in accidents in waterborne traffic Source: Statistics Finland ,200 1, Cargo ship Fishing vessel Passenger ship Other merchant vessel Motorboat Sailing boat Rowing boat / dinghy Canoe / kayak Rubber boat / RIB Sailing dinghy Windsurfer PWC Other recreational craft Vessels involved in fatal accidents in waterborne traffic in Source: Statistics Finland Cargo ship Fishing vessel Passenger ship Other merchant vessel Motorboat Sailing boat Rowing boat / dinghy Canoe / kayak Rubber boat / RIB Sailing dinghy Windsurfer PWC Other recreational craft

53 Finnish Annual Maritime Safety Review Market surveillance of boats Photo: Mika Huisman Part of the work that Trafi conducts in order to promote safety in boating consists of market surveillance. Products falling under the applicable directive, Directive 94/25/EC on recreational craft, as amended, must fulfil certain safety requirements, known as the essential requirements, numbering 39 in total. In 2011, 1,500 different products were inspected in connection with various events. In all, 200 inspections or other surveillance measures were performed. In such inspections, 60 products did not meet the applicable requirements. Finland is a forerunner in the market surveillance of boats. The year 2013 saw a shift towards a more risk-sensitive strategy in the market surveillance of boats. This means that operators who exhibit no defects in their products will be inspected at longer intervals than those whose products have been reported as containing deficiencies. The goal is to direct surveillance at the areas where it is needed and where the best possible impact can be achieved. Such surveillance is partly conducted before the product is released onto the market. Thus, 20 boats were stopped at the border due to safety-related defects. In 60 cases, the operator voluntarily corrected the defects. None of the products had to be withdrawn from the market or destroyed as hazardous.

54 54 Finnish Annual Maritime Safety Review 2013 Summary Compared with other, more important, sea areas in Europe, Finnish waters have seen relatively few accidents classified as very serious in the last ten years. The number of serious accidents involving Finnish ships has also remained relatively low. This can be taken to indicate that the safeguards developed have played a clear role in minimising the consequences of accidents. If we look back on accidents with less serious consequences, we can conclude that their number has increased over the long term, both in the northern Baltic Sea and among ships operated by Finnish shipping companies. Such development has traditionally been interpreted as foreshadowing an increase in the number of serious accidents, due to the fact that in a situation where less serious accidents become more frequent, the last line of defence is more likely to be breached in certain conditions. For example, a navigational error may lead to a ship running aground and sinking in the archipelago, similar to the fate suffered by the Costa Concordia. However, development is seldom as straightforward as this, as the risk is significantly affected by structural background factors and their interaction, whose combined effect is difficult to assess, let alone control. For the northern Baltic Sea and Lake Saimaa, localised accident scenarios can be specified on the basis of previous surveys and Trafi s assessment. The worst-case scenario for the Gulf of Finland involves two cargo holds of a tanker sustaining damage in an accident, with approximately 30,000 tons of oil being spilled into the Gulf of Finland. The accident scenario for the Bothnian Sea and the Bothnian Bay involves the grounding of a bulk carrier, which may result in substantial damage to the environment, depending on the amount of fuel and cargo carried by the vessel in question. In the Sea of Åland and the Archipelago Sea, the grounding of a passenger ship is generally regarded as the kind of accident scenario most readily applicable to these waters. The grounding of a passenger ship engaged in domestic traffic is the principal accident scenario sketched out for the Saimaa Canal and Lake Saimaa. No definitive explanation is available for the increase in the number of less serious accidents. One factor may be the rise in the volume of vessel traffic. According to the findings of port state control inspections, the poor state of repair of the vessel fleet and its being manned in breach of regulations do not constitute a particular problem. The reasons for most accidents that fall into this category are explained by circumstances such as the human factor, technical problems or organisational factors. Such factors, however, are rather general explanations when applied to fairly unusual accidents. Improved accident prevention requires that more information on hazardous situations, near misses and breaches of regulations relating to vessels and crew is made available in operational support of both the private and public sectors. In view of the current economic outlook for shipping, which is highly sensitive to economic fluctuations, it is unrealistic to expect overnight solutions to long-term, safety-related problems such as undermanning or the insufficient service and maintenance of ships. When put into practice, cost-saving measures are often applied to precisely these sensitive functions, adjudged to be critical from the safety viewpoint. Unfortunately, in many cases the conflict between safety and economy does not derive from a lack of economic resources, but from underlying attitudes. Trade magazines on safety at sea frequently publish articles on the importance of a strong safety culture to accident prevention. The characteristics of such a culture include a positive attitude among personnel towards safety promotion regulations and guidelines, a committed management for which safety always takes precedence over economic considerations when there is a conflict between the two, and a safe atmosphere in which reporting errors is not avoided but learned from. To promote strong safety cultures, Trafi has launched a project targeted at finding better ways of obtaining information on the above-mentioned errors and breaches of safety regulations, as well as encouraging stakeholders in shipping to adopt new ways of thinking. The intention is to identify risks through analysis, thus enabling corrective action before risks are realised. This project will be largely implemented through collaboration between the public and private sectors. In addition to Trafi, seven Finnish shipping companies, the Finnish Shipowners Association, and Finnpilot Pilotage Ltd will participate. Work in promotion of safer and environmentally friendly shipping is being conducted through the European Union strategy and action plan for the Baltic Sea region, particularly through the implementation of its 15 priority sectors, four of which are being coordinated by Finland. The measures included in the Baltic Sea Maritime Safety Programme and

55 the maritime transport strategy for Finland, now under preparation, also involve seeking solutions to future challenges. Other notable recent action in pursuit of maritime safety includes the Common Information Sharing Environment (CISE) for maritime surveillance, which the European Commission is developing in collaboration with the EU and ETA countries. This system will be a combination of existing surveillance systems and networks, providing authorities with all the information they need for maritime surveillance. CISE will make the various systems compatible, thus enabling easy information exchange based on state-of-the-art technology. This is an intriguing prospect for safety experts.

56 Finnish Transport Safety Agency Kumpulantie 9, Helsinki P.O. Box 320, FI Helsinki, Finland Telephone Responsible traffic. A joint effort. Trafi S124e / 11/2013 / Edita Prima Oy / Markkinointitoimisto Kitchen Oy