130 The elements of safety and security Providers of safety and security equipment for the cruise and ferry industry are contributing to a larger ecosystem critical for ensuring the safety of life at sea. Amber Hickman reports Whether they are taking a short ferry trip across the English Channel or a luxury cruise through the Norwegian fjords, crew members and passengers step onboard with one expectation that exceeds all others: a safe journey. According to Lloyd’s List Intelligence, there were 672 reported ship-related incidents onboard cruise and ferry ships in 2024. Machinery damage and failure were the biggest causes of these incidents, accounting for 484 of the occurrences. Other major contributors included fires, explosions, collisions and hull damage. The number of crimes committed by cruise passengers adds significantly to the industry’s safety and security performance. In 2024, the US Department of Transformation recorded 168 major incidents on sailings that embark and disembark in US ports. Add in minor crimes and multiply across the worlds cruise ports, and the importance of good safety and security equipment and practices is plain to see. To prevent incidents such as these, global regulatory boards are working consistently to ensure that current challenges are being addressed, member states enforce compliance and that regulations are updated as necessary. For instance, on 18-27 June in London, UK, the 110th session of the International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) Maritime Safety Committee discussed the international safety management code, cybersecurity for ships and ports, recommended hours of work and rest for seafarers, and piracy against ships. “Given the increasing number of recent incidents, I wish to urge all member states and the maritime industry to improve compliance with IMO international standards; exercise enhanced vigilance and navigational safety; ensure emergency preparedness and rapid response capabilities; and strengthen cooperation and information sharing to safeguard seafarers, vessels and marine environment,” said Arsenio Dominguez, IMO secretary general, in his opening speech. Global cruise associations are focused on enhancing safety at sea too. According to Bud Darr, president and CEO of Cruise Lines International Association, “shipboard safety, fire protection and public health” are currently the three main priorities for improving safety and security within the global cruise industry area. Meanwhile, Mike Corrigan, CEO of Interferry, states that the current priorities for the ferry industry are to “dispel the myths that battery electric vehicles are more dangerous to transport onboard ferries than carbonbased fuel vehicles and improve ferry safety in the developing world through Interferry’s FerrySafe initiative”. In addition to complying with regulation and safety standards, cruise and ferry operators need to ensure their vessels have the necessary equipment to prevent, detect and respond to any emergency that appears. FEATURE Vi DK 27 Sy DE 4
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