Page 8 - INTERCARGO - Bulk Carrier Casualty Report 2021

Introduction

The global COVID-19 pandemic resulted in 2020 being a challenging
and difficult year for the bulk carrier sector. It was also a year when
seafarers of all nationalities faced extended time on board due to

crew change problems, resulting in the danger of fatigue and men-
tal stress. Despite these difficulties, crews continued to serve the
world’s needs by ensuring the smooth running of the global bulk
carrier fleet transporting vital goods across the world.

No room for complacency

Unfortunately, 2020 was not without casualties. The bulk carrier WAKASHIO
ran aground on a reef off the coast of Mauritius on 25 July and broke in two
on 12 August. More than 1,000 tonnes of fuel seeped from a crack in the hull.
The unsafe behaviour that contributed to her grounding once again reminds
the shipping industry that there is no room for complacency. Complacency
is a result of over-confidence and a lack of safety awareness, increasing the
potential for serious casualties in the sector.

Grounding
Grounding was the most common reported cause of bulk carrier losses from
2011 to 2020. In February 2020, the 2016-built very large ore carrier (VLOC)
STELLAR BANNER ran aground off the coast of Brazil while carrying iron ore.
After refloating, condition assessment led to her being scuttled about 150
kilometers from the coast of Maranhão, due to the extent of hull
damage suffered as a result of the incident.
Among a total of 34 bulk carrier losses of over 10,000 dwt,
[This] unsafe behaviour 17 of these were due to grounding. Of these 17 losses, 13
investigations were carried out by the respective flag States, with
…once again reminds full investigation reports available in the IMO GISIS database.
the shipping industry
Human error
that there is no room for
An initial review of those reports found that human error both
complacency. operationally and in navigation contributed to 9 of the casualties.
Among the four casualties without investigation reports available,
evidence has shown that two of them, including the WAKASHIO,
also seem to have been caused by operational and navigational
human error. This leads us to believe that at least 11 of the 17
grounding incidents recorded were due to human error by the
crew on board.