Record number of 15 winners for MPA’s International Safety at Sea Awards
A record number of 15 winners were announced at this year’s MPA International Safety@Sea Awards today. Organised by the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA), the Awards are given out annually to recognise the outstanding efforts of organisations and individuals who have contributed towards ensuring safer seas. The winners were selected from an unprecedented number of nominations received this year, and the high quality of submissions had also prompted the National Maritime Safety at Sea Council (NMSSC) to introduce Letters of Commendations for the first time.
Winners were recognised across the four categories of:
a. Outstanding Contribution to Search and Rescue Efforts in 2019 (11 winners)
One of the winners was Jan De Nul (S) Pte Ltd, whose vessel Diogo Cao rescued a Singaporean man, Mr John Low. Mr Low had been floating in the South China Sea for four days after his boat capsized in a storm.
b. Outstanding Individual Contribution to Safety at Sea (1 winner)
Captain Hari Subramaniam was awarded Outstanding Individual Contribution to Safety at Sea for his active engagement with various stakeholders in the maritime industry to promote safety across South East Asia. He has represented the shipping community at regional and international events, including conducting pertinent webinars and educational workshops for the maritime community, writing detailed risk assessments and engaging with the Centre of Excellence in Maritime Safety (CEMS) and the Singapore Maritime Academy (SMA) on polls and research into accident statistics of vessels in Singapore waters towards the development of a proposal for a new navigational simulator.
c. Outstanding Corporate Contribution to Safety at Sea (1 winner)
DM Sea Logistics, the only winner in this category, was awarded for their outstanding commitment to safety at sea. In 2019, in partnership with GAC Singapore, DM Sea Logistics trialed a fatigue monitoring programme in which crew members were issued smart wearables for the trial period. The data collected during this period improved understanding of the fatigue risks and precautionary measures that could be taken. DM Sea Logistics is also a member of the MPA-Harbour Craft Safety Working Group.
d. Open Category (2 winners)
One of two winners in the Open Category, Wilhelmsen Ships Service (WSS), has developed several innovative mooring solutions for the maritime industry, including Snap Back Arrestor (SBA) mooring ropes, Smart Ropes and rope management software. The specialised core construction of SBA ropes minimises the risk associated with snap-back when a rope breaks, allowing the stored energy to be dissipated safely. Today, more than 500 vessels across 25 customers deploy WSS' SBA ropes.
Seven letters of commendation were also given to nominations that the NMSSC thought was deserving merit. These were given out for the “Outstanding Corporate Contribution to Safety at Sea” and “Open Category”. Mr Ishak Ismail, Chairman of NMSSC, said, “There were so many encouraging stories behind the nominations, and we want to celebrate this culture of safety. Together with our council members, I would like to thank our winners and nominees for being a beacon of light, bringing those who visit, use and work at our ports, home safely to their families.”
The winners were announced at the International Safety@Sea Webinar Series. This year’s two-day event is an annual platform organised by MPA for members of the international maritime community and practitioners to provide updates on issues pertaining to safety at sea, actively share best practices and experiences on maritime safety, as well as discuss issues of concern and offer problem-solving ideas. The Opening Session yesterday was opened by Mr Chee Hong Tat, Senior Minister of State for Foreign Affairs and Transport, Singapore and the international panel of speakers touched on the topic “Maritime Safety: New Normal, New Paradigms”. Three plenaries, covering the topics of “Mental Health & Wellness: Helping Seafarers Cope Better During a Pandemic”, “Ship Safety: Reflecting on Incidents, Causality and the Way Forward”, and “Ship Management: Lessons Learnt for Safety and Standards in the New Normal”, were held today. Each opened with a keynote presentation and was followed by a panel discussion.
Keynote presentations were made by Ms Jillian Carson-Jackson, President, The Nautical Institute, Mr Jakob P. Larsen, Head, Maritime Safety & Security, BIMCO and Mr Koichi Fujiwara, Chairman, International Association of Classification Societies (IACS). Ms Carson-Jackson spoke about how stakeholders in the maritime industry had to keep working together innovatively to identify solutions to help seafarers cope during the pandemic and beyond. Mr Larsen shared BIMCO’s perspective on maritime incidents and how they viewed the future of safety. Mr Fujiwara spoke about the IACS’s role in ensuring that the shipping industry could continue functioning through the COVID-19 pandemic, and how it protects the safety of its surveyors and ship crew through the deployment of latest technologies.
For more details of the event, visit the MPA website
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