Vessels without enough crew 'are a hazard to shipping'

Published on Thursday 30 July 2009 19:12

TOO many merchant vessels are still sailing around Britain's coast with too few crewmen to operate safely and are a hazard to shipping, the head of the Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) has warned.

In one incident last year, a cargo boat ran aground after "ploughing on like an unguided missile" because the officer of the watch had been fast asleep for three hours.

The risks facing the merchant fleet have been highlighted by Stephen Meyer, the chief inspector of marine accidents, in his introduction to the annual report of the MAIB.

The report reveals that five merchant crewmen lost their lives in 2008, compared with a death toll of 12 the previous year. And eight fishermen died – the same total as in 2007.

Mr Meyer said: "Complacency continues to be a major factor in many of the accidents investigated by the MAIB. The word 'complacency' is used by the MAIB, not to imply smugness or self-satisfaction, but to reflect the natural human consequence resulting from familiarity with a task or operation.

"The number of crew deaths has resumed broadly at the same level as each of the preceding 15 years, after a significant increase in 2007. Each death is a tragedy, and each was avoidable."

He added: "A large number of vessels on the short sea trade continue to trade around the UK with insufficient crew to operate safely. Many still fail to have a dedicated bridge lookout when required, and fatigued officers of the watch are a hazard to themselves and to others.

"In the case of Antari, which grounded in Northern Ireland in January 2008, the officer of the watch had been asleep for over three hours before the accident, while the vessel ploughed on like an unguided missile."