Germany’s Federal Bureau for Maritime Casualty Investigation (BSU) has released its Annual Report for 2024, offering valuable insights into marine casualties and incidents. The report provides a crucial overview of maritime safety trends, identifying recurring issues and contributing factors to accidents at sea.
Decrease Noted
The overall number of marine safety notifications has seen a year-on-year decrease of approximately 10%, dropping from 698 in 2023 to 625 in 2024.
However, this reduction is not yet a cause for celebration as the number of marine casualties (accidents with serious consequences, as defined by the IMO Code) has remained stable at a high level (131 in 2024 compared to 134 in 2023).
Conversely, there was a significant reduction in other categories:
- Incidents (minor cases) saw a 12% reduction, with 32 fewer notifications.
- Other accidents/incidents for which the BSU is not responsible saw a more substantial 13% reduction, with 38 fewer notifications. This trend suggests these numbers have stabilized at more predictable levels compared to previous years.
Additionally, notifications regarding ships being unreachable on VHF channel 80 have completely disappeared, indicating that a general software problem causing this issue has been resolved.
Due to the overall reduction in incidents, the actual number of accidents has also decreased, falling from 407 in the previous year to 372 in 2024.
Human Error
The year 2024 continued to be relatively busy for marine accidents, despite an overall drop in notifications. A consistent and concerning trend is the high number of marine casualties (accidents with serious consequences), which remained stable compared to the previous year.
While there are expected fluctuations between categories like Serious Marine Casualties (SMCs) and Less Serious Marine Casualties (LSMCs), it’s notable that SMCs predominantly involve grounded vessels requiring refloating. A positive aspect is that the number of very serious marine casualties (those involving total loss, loss of life, or severe pollution) has remained low.
Technical causes continue to be a significant factor. As in previous years, damage to the main engine was the most frequently identified technical cause. Damage to the main engine or rudder is often categorized as a serious marine casualty for regulatory reasons. Even though these incidents may not always grab public attention or lead to immediate, visible consequences, they still pose considerable risks. A common scenario following such technical failures is a vessel running aground, necessitating towing operations and subsequent extensive repairs.
Human error remains a predominant cause of accidents. These incidents were primarily attributed to simple navigational mistakes and errors in judgment, such as miscalculations or momentary lapses in decision-making. Furthermore, accidents stemming from inadequate occupational safety measures continued to be common, frequently resulting in injuries. Tragically, fatalities due to such incidents continue to occur on a regular basis, underscoring the critical need for improved safety protocols and training.
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Source: Safety4sea
