Maritime Safety Awareness Bulletin issue 21 — Managing risk

Since 2020, 345 serious crew injuries have been reported to us from regulated Australian vessels and foreign flagged vessels in Australian waters. Find out how effective risk assessments can help prevent accidents onboard.

Summary

Subjective assessments of risks in day day-to-day shipboard operations, such as working at heights or over the side, can impact behaviour. Sometimes seafarers may perceive the risk as low and take more risks than they need to. In these situations serious incidents are more likely to occur.

Risk assessment is a key part of the vessel’s safety management system under the International Safety Management (ISM) Code. But assessments only work if risks are correctly identified and effective safety measures are implemented.

For an effective risk assessment:

Identify all types of risks on board. Consider how different factors influence the way people respond to risk.
Involve crew members with different experiences. A diverse team helps spot more hazards and improves the adoption of safety measures.
Use levels to put strong controls in place. First, try to remove the hazard - the safest option. If that’s not possible, find a safer option or use administrative measures to lower risk.
Monitor and review controls regularly. This keeps them effective, relevant and current.