As World Maritime Day embraces the role of technology in helping shipping to achieve its green goals, ship manager association InterManager emphasises the importance of keeping seafarers in mind when implementing digital solutions and new ways of working at sea.

Captain Kuba Szymanski, InterManager Secretary General, commented: “The maritime community is right to embrace new ways of operating which lead to cleaner, greener and more sustainable shipping and protect our marine environments for many generations to come. We must also ensure that we don’t lose sight of those who operate our ships and bring them with us on this green journey, ensuring that the technology we install is safe to use, that proper training regimes are developed, and that operating procedures are updated accordingly.”

He welcomed comments by Kitack Lim, Secretary-General of the International Maritime Organization, which stressed that technological solutions for cleaner, safer and more sustainable shipping must also benefit people, and urged the shipping industry to consider the impact of green technology on seafarers and other marine personnel.

As part of its work on behalf of its ship and crew manager members, who employ a large proportion of the world’s seafarers, InterManager campaigns on safety issues in order to prevent injury and deaths of workers on ships. Its current projects include the safe use of lifeboats and identifying safe working practices in enclosed spaces. It has been influential on a number of international ship operating regulations, notably the ISMA Code.