Accidents onboard ships are not decreasing, according to latest accident statistics submitted to the International Maritime Organization by shipmanagement association InterManager.

The number of seafarers injured in falls has remained fairly consistent year on year, as has the number of injuries resulting from rescue and survival craft accidents. However, the casualty rate for enclosed space accidents has almost doubled, the Association warns.

InterManager has submitted its figures, which span several decades, to the 10th session of the IMO’s Sub-Committee on Implementation of IMO Instruments, taking place from 22nd to 26th July in London. The Association’s submission provides information and analysis in support of InterManager’s information documents on enclosed space accidents (ranging from 1996 to 1 May 2024), fall accidents (from 2012 to 1 May 2024), and accidents involving rescue and survival craft (from 1980 to 1 May 2024).

InterManager has used a variety of verified data feeds to obtain this information on accidents onboard ships. The Association notes there remains a significant lag between accident occurrence, its investigation, and the report being uploaded into the Marine Casualties and Incidents (MCI) module of the Global Integrated Shipping Information System (GISIS). InterManager comments: “It would be markedly beneficial to all analyses if this unwelcome lag could be decreased, or indeed eliminated.”

Industry statistics are undermined due to lack of transparency and hesitation in sharing accidents. This is causing problems with accident reporting. InterManager’s submission notes a number of accidents involving falls onboard ships are not being recorded within GISIS nor made available elsewhere, although these accidents are being openly reported and recorded on ship type-specific websites and within regional media. It also notes there have been a number of enclosed space accidents in ship repair yards which are not currently required to report to GISIS.

InterManager’s submission to IMO reveals:

Enclosed Space Accidents
•    The trend for the number of enclosed accidents occurring on an annual basis appears to have stabilised over the past few years with a noticeable dip during the global pandemic of 2021. However, when comparing 2022 and 2023, both of which saw 14 recorded enclosed space incidents, there was a marked increase in the number of actual casualties in 2023, compared to 2022, 34 as against 18. Thus, although the frequency of accidents remained fairly constant, the casualty rate almost doubled.

•    Of those who have lost their lives in enclosed space accidents where the rank or role has been stated, 66% currently come from what is considered to be the ships’ leadership team. (For statistical purposes, the ships’ leadership team comprises the master, chief engineer, chief officer and second engineer.) A further 6% of those who lost their lives were serving onboard the ship in a training role, which is defined in similar statistical terms as a cadet or a trainee.

Fall accidents
•    The trend for fall accidents from, or onboard, ships for the past five-year period has remained consistent between 44 and 52 accidents per year, and the majority of casualties resulting from these accidents involved just a single person. Between 1 January and 1 May 2024 18 accidents were recorded within the GISIS.

•    The percentage of fall accidents, when analysed by ship type, remained broadly constant throughout the review period of 2012 to 1 May 2024, as compared to InterManager’s previous submission (document III 9/INF.12). Likewise, the location of the fall accidents reported remained consistent between the two review periods. It would appear therefore, that the industry is experiencing a similar frequency of fall accidents in similar locations year after year.

•    Where it is mentioned in the accident investigation report, seafarers directly involved in undertaking the majority of activities which involve working aloft or working over the ship’s side experience the highest number of accidents at 55%. Those who are not ship officers or crew account for 22% of the fall accidents, with ship officers accounting for the balance of 23%

Rescue and survival craft accidents
•    InterManager’s data in relation to accidents associated with rescue and survival craft onboard ships involves all kinds of merchant ships, cruise ships, naval vessels, oil rigs, tugs, and supply boats with IMO numbers. Out of 538 incidents (including 50 near misses) gathered since 1980, only 19% are available in GISIS.

•    There is still a potential for serious accidents in the handling of lifeboats during drills and launching. InterManager gratefully acknowledges the continued efforts of the IMO to prevent lifeboat accidents by reviewing resolution MSC.81(70) on the Revised Recommendation on testing of life-saving appliances, and the adoption of resolution MSC.544(107) on 8 June 2023 on the amendments to the Revised Recommendation on testing of life-saving appliances (resolution MSC.81(70)) which includes all types of lifeboats on board ships.

InterManager strongly recommends that categories of specific operations – such as enclosed space, fall, personal transfer, lifeboat, mooring and other – be included in the data collection database of accidents by GISIS, Flag States, other industry organisations, including shipping companies. This will assist regulators to review procedures, improve safety and minimise accidents.

Captain Kuba Szymanski, InterManager Secretary General, said: “Safety is very important to InterManager members and developing an effective safety culture is one of the central pillars of our General Principles of Conduct and Action. Collating these statistics on behalf of the industry enables us to proactively assist on a number of core safety issues and we are pleased that the IMO and other industry stakeholders are making use of them to protect the lives of seafarers.”