'Radical rethink needed' over ship lookouts after North Sea crash
Summary
Britain's marine safety body is recommending a significant change in how ship lookouts are managed after a fatal collision in the North Sea and other incidents. The report highlights the need to modernize ship lookout practices in the digital age. Implementing changes would require international agreement and may take up to a decade.Key Facts
- A collision occurred in the North Sea on March 10 between the cargo ship Solong and the tanker Stena Immaculate.
- The ships did not have dedicated lookouts during poor visibility conditions.
- A crew member from the Solong is missing and presumed dead, and the ship's captain faces charges of gross negligence manslaughter.
- The Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) suggests reevaluating the role of human watchkeepers due to incidents like this.
- International regulations require ships to maintain a proper lookout by various means, like sight and hearing.
- Current safety systems, like the Bridge Navigational Watch Alarm System (BNWAS), need human intervention to be activated.
- New technology or improved systems could automatically activate safety features when a ship departs.
- Changes to marine safety regulations could take 4 to 10 years to be agreed upon internationally.
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