ABS, the American Club and Lamar University have announced a new initiative that will aim to reduce maritime-related safety incidents.
The initial focus of the partnership’s analysis and industry guidance will be on slips, trips and falls ABS Manager of Human Factors Kevin McSweeney said: “We are excited to work with our partners to develop pragmatic guidance for some of the most common hazards and behaviours affecting maritime personnel. Much still remains to be done in reducing these incidents.” Dr McSweeney said that “slips, trips and falls have received a lot of attention over the years but remain a leading cause of incidents aboard ship. This initiative will identify, prepare and share actionable safety-related guidance to help organizations better prioritize resources and measure progress to improve seafarer safety and health.”
The commonly reported causes of slips, trips, and falls are situational awareness (40%) and poor housekeeping (29%).
American Club Senior Vice President William Moore said that “the specific talents of all three partners have come together in identifying common behaviours and hazards impacting maritime personnel; developing recommendations for interventions that can improve safety, as well as presenting guidance to marine owners and operators in understanding key causes, with the ultimate aim of implementing onboard strategies to mitigate these incidents. Our goal with this initiative is developing practical industry recommendations that can be applied to improve the day-to-day safety of maritime crews and staff.