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.