Subchapter M – Will it improve towboat safety?

 

The maritime industry is often reactive. It takes a major accident or incident to drive change through the industry. Thus, the need for Subchapter M to instill a proactive culture of safety. Perhaps as humans resist so does the maritime industry and those in it. Perhaps it is the thought of economical gains that blurs the need for a safety culture. Often those managing the vessels from ashore are not aware of the challenges of operating at sea. They do not see the dangers associated with a fatigued seafarer or ill maintained vessel machinery.

Safety management systems are not new. they started ashore and then moved to the maritime industry (for ocean going vessels 500GT and up) following the sinking of the Herald of Free Enterprise that served as a major catalyst for the implementation of the ISM code. Following the Deepwater Horizon oil spill safety management systems were required for offshore mobile drilling units. Now the towboat industry has to implement towing safety management systems perSubchapter M regulations.

With over 25 years under its belt the ISM code cannot be counted as the sole contributor to safety at sea. Nearly every month, a vessel sinks, somewhere in the world. Maritime accidents still occur even with the checks and balances still in place. Will Subchapter M then change the safety statistics for the towboat industry? In time, yes. But it will take time. Compliance can only do so much. A safer marine environment can only come from instilling of a just culture on board. Where this does not exist it can take years to build.

A good safety management system starts with the commitment of the leadership ashore. The crew aboard the vessels have to see their commitment of safety, through the provision of needed resources and walking the talk. The master is then the next leader that the crew look to for direction. Where the leadership exhibit a lax attitude to safety the crew cannot be expected to follow. Accidents in the maritime industry and mostly attributed to human error. As with all other systems, subchapter M compliance will not build a safety culture. It will take hard work and effort from the leadership to build this. Where safety first is not just a motto but a way of life. Where non-conformities can be reported without fear.

Subchapter M is the start of the something good. For without it many operators would not choose to invest in their vessels and systems. Those operators who understand the value of safety and the benefits it provides have already proactively implemented management systems long before Subchapter M became a reality. The regulations are more aimed at bringing the others on board. For one bad apple spoils the entire basket.