Maritime Accident

Primary reference(s)

United Nations, European Union and the International Transport Forum at the OECD, 2019. Glossary for transport statistics. 5th Edition. Accessed 11 February 2025.

Annotations

Key relevant UN convention / multilateral treaty

United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (United Nations, 1982).

International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea, (SOLAS) 1974 (IMO, 1974)

Drivers

The causes of marine accidents include collision, close quarters and contact accidents; grounding; fire; explosion; lifeboat (lack of training and/or maintenance); inadequate risk management; operational failure; cargo-related; human error; third party deficiency; technical failure and weather and other environmental factors (Acejo et al., 2018).

The most common kind of accident was identified as 'collision, close quarters and contact' (35.8%). This was followed by grounding which constituted 17% of the cases. About 9.8% of cases were associated with fire and explosion, 3.3% of cases were related to lifeboats and 34.2% were described by investigators as being other kinds of accidents. These disparate events included, for example, crane failure, man overboard, cargo loss, engine room flooding, trip and fall, parting of mooring lines, and oil spills. (Acejo et al., 2018). 

Impacts

Acejo et al. (2018) report ed a total of 693 accident reports which were analysed to help users gauge the severity of. total fatalities or injury counts. These were identified from an analysis of accident investigation reports that were published on line by the (UK) Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB), the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB), the (US) National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), the Federal Bureau of Maritime Casualty Investigation in Germany, and the Danish Maritime Accident Investigation Board (DMAIB) in the period 2002-2016 (inclusive) and accident investigation reports from Maritime New Zealand from 2002-4, as this publication was discontinued in 2004. (Acejo et al., 2018).  

The most common kind of accident was identified as ‘collision, close quarters and contact’ (35.8%). This was followed by grounding which constituted 17% of the cases. About 9.8% of cases were associated with fire and explosion, 3.3% of cases were related to lifeboats and 34.2% were described by investigators as being other kinds of accidents. These disparate events included, for example, crane failure, man overboard [sic], cargo loss, engine room flooding, trip and fall, parting of mooring lines, and oil spills. ‘Inadequate risk management’ was most identified as both an immediate and a contributory cause of accidents when all types were aggregated with third- party deficiency’ is the second most common accident cause identified by investigators. ‘Failure in communication’ was the third most identified cause of accidents (Acejo et al., 2018). 

It needs to be acknowledged that the 695 accident reports dataset was primarily from developed maritime nations; global applicability might be limited without further regional context.

Multi-hazard context

The figure below summarises common interactions between maritime accidents and other hazards. This information should be used with caution and not be solely relied upon in Disaster Risk Management, particularly as some interactions may not have been included. Note that hazardous events occurring together or locally in space or time may not necessarily cause, amplify, or be otherwise related to each other. Specific examples of multi-hazard context can be found in the ‘Hazard drivers’ and ‘Impacts’ sections above.

Multi-hazard diagram

Risk Management

The IMO has established an International Safety Management (ISM) Code that seeks to establish systems for the safe operation and management of ships and for pollution prevention (IMO, 1993). The Code’s origins go back to the late 1980s, when there was mounting concern about poor management standards in shipping. Investigations into accidents revealed major errors on the part of management, and in 1987 the IMO Assembly adopted resolution A.596(15), which called upon the Maritime Safety Committee to develop guidelines concerning shore-based management to ensure the safe operation of ro-ro passenger ferries. The procedures required by the Code should be documented and compiled in a Safety Management Manual, a copy of which should be kept on board (IMO, 1998).  

Clarify how the ISM Code’s implementation is monitored (e.g., through audits or port state control). Consider briefly referencing Safety Management Certificates (SMCs) issued to vessels. 

IMO Safety Management Certificates (SMCs) are issued to vessels to verify their compliance with the International Safety Management (ISM) Code, which outlines standards for safe ship operation and management (IMO, 1995). An SMC signifies that the vessel's company and shipboard management operate according to an approved Safety Management System (SMS). The certificate is valid for five years and requires at least one intermediate verification within that period. 

The ISM Code's implementation is monitored through various mechanisms, including audits and port state control. Audits, conducted by the Administration (flag state) or Recognized Organizations (ROs), verifying compliance with the ISM Code's requirements (IMO, no date e). Port state control involves inspections of ships in foreign ports to ensure they meet international standards, including the ISM Code. (IMO, no date f) 

IMO has various guidelines that contribute to real-time risk mitigation including the threat posed by piracy and armed robbery against ships has been on the IMO's agenda since the early 1980s (IMO, no date g).

Monitoring

AIS (Automatic Identification System) and VDR (Voyage Data Recorder) as essential components in real-time monitoring and investigations.

The Automatic Identification System (AIS) is a maritime safety and navigation tool that uses radio communication to exchange information between vessels and shore stations. It helps vessels avoid collisions, track vessel movements, and provide information to authorities for traffic management. AIS transponders are designed to be capable of providing position, identification and other information about the ship to other ships and to coastal authorities automatically (IMO, no date c).

Voyage Data Recorders (VCR) Passenger ships and ships other than passenger ships of 3000 gross tonnage and upwards constructed on or after 1 July 2002 must carry voyage data recorders (VDRs) to assist in accident investigations, under regulations adopted in 2000, which entered into force on 1 July 2002. The mandatory regulations are contained in Chapter V on Safety of Navigation of the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea, 1974 (SOLAS). Like the black boxes carried on aircraft, VDRs enable accident investigators to review procedures and instructions in the moments before an incident and help to identify the cause of any accident. (IMO, no date d)

The European Marine Casualty Information Platform (EMCIP) was operational from June 2011. The European Marine Casualty Information Platform (EMCIP) is a database and a data distribution system operated by the European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA), the European Commission and the EU/EEA Member States (EMSA, no date). It aims to deliver a range of potential benefits at national and European relevance by:

• Improving the information background about marine casualties and incidents;
• Widening and deepening the analysis of the results of casualty investigations;
• Providing at-a-glance information, enabling general risk identification and profiling;
• Sharing lessons learned and safety issues detected in the course of safety investigations.