EDITOR’S LeTTER
1
SAFET Y STAYS IN THE SPOTLIGHT BY SANDRA SPEARES With the plight of seafarers continuing to be a major concern – and vaccination of crew members top of the agenda – new aids to the health and safety of people vital to the shipping industry are to be welcomed
I
t is good to see that countries such as India, which has paid a heavy price in the pandemic, have been pushing for vaccination of their seafarers in the shortest possible time. Health and safety continue to be major concerns for the industry and, it is hoped, will continue to receive a high level of attention at all levels. While seafarers’ issues are nothing new, it is hoped that the pandemic may have a positive effect in highlighting the importance of those who work in all sectors of the industry. The pandemic has also served to highlight or accelerate trends such as remote working, digitalisation and the need to reduce costs by introducing greater efficiencies and eliminating wasteful practices. Some remote working practices will continue to improve safety conditions for those working in ports and on ships. They should have a positive effect on how personnel are deployed and, result in the elimination of some of the more dangerous tasks in which individuals may have to become involved.
The use of drones may serve to address the issue of dangers represented by enclosed spaces, notably reducing the need for human intervention within high-risk areas of the ship or port facility
One area that has been receiving attention is using drones to carry out surveys of areas of ships that have often resulted in dangers to crew in the past. The use of drones may also serve to address the issue of dangers represented by enclosed spaces, notably reducing the need for human intervention within high-risk areas of the ship or port facility. That said, remote working does have its down side and it is hoped as the pandemic begins to ease, there will be more time for face to face contacts that do not involve speaking via a computer screen. There have been benefits for more efficient use of working time, but the maritime industry is essentially a very sociable one, and face to face contacts are important. Hopefully, this will be possible later this year when ABTO holds its delayed conference in Riga. We hope that as many of you as possible will be able to make the trip to Riga in October to enjoy the pleasures of networking in the traditional way, while at the same time having the opportunity of hearing presentations from specialists from across the dry bulk segment. Meanwhile, enjoy reading the latest edition of Bulk Terminals International.
BULK TERMINALS
international | SUMMER 2021
