Even in this modern age of aeroplanes and helicopters, we still rely heavily on the sea for the transportation of goods. Cargo ships, oil tankers, and fishing vessels still ply the waves around the world daily. Additionally, approximately 30% of the world’s oil supply comes from offshore exploration meaning a huge number of rigs, production platforms, and support vessels are operating at sea.
As with any industry involving complex machinery and human interaction, accidents can, and frequently do, occur. In most instances, the root cause of casualties and incidents at sea occur due to the failure of machines, tools, systems, or equipment, weather, and human error. Mistakes made by workers and operators play a major role in maritime accidents, with complex investigations needed to unravel the chain of events leading to an incident. While an incident may be brief, it can leave lasting impacts, not just on the people involved, but also on the environment and ecosystem.
Common Sources of Maritime Accidents
- Accidents on Offshore Oil Rigs & Installations: The 2010 Deepwater Horizon incident in the Gulf of Mexico was an accident involving an oil rig. Offshore oil & gas exploration utilizes a great deal of heavy equipment and complex work processes. Even a minor issue or negligence of a single work process can lead to massive catastrophic incidents.
- Accidents on Crude Oil Tankers: The main cause of accidents on oil tankers is fire or explosions. The nature of the materials transported by tankers is dangerous and highly flammable, making it easier for an explosion to occur. According to statistics, the biggest cause of these incidents on oil tankers is due to worker negligence.
- Grounding and hull damage: Ship grounding occurs when the bottom of the ship scrapes submerged objects, such as sandbars, rocks, or shallow ocean floors. This can lead to damage to the hull, leaks, and environmental damage.
- Accidents due to crane damage: Like operating a crane on land, operating cranes in ports and at sea also carry the risk of accidents. Failure of cables or winches can result in serious, sometimes fatal injury.
- Drugs and alcohol: Substance abuse is a problem all over the world, even in the maritime industry. When workers are affected by drugs or alcohol it can impair their judgment and make them more prone to making mistakes or taking unnecessary risks, thus leading to an accident.
EMSA (European Maritime Safety Agency) reported that the number of maritime casualties in 2017 was 3,301 and there was around 3,174 total incidents and casualties in 2018.
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