Groundings - Shallow Waters, Deep Trouble
The Managers have recently completed production work on the Club’s latest Loss Prevention DVD -“ Groundings – Shallow Waters, Deep Trouble”.
The consequences of a vessel running aground vary in severity, but they are potentially devastating. In those instances where the vessel becomes a constructive total loss, environmental damage arises or is threatened, and there is a requirement to remove the wreck, the resulting liabilities can be enormous. In many countries the cost of wreck removal is not constrained by limitation, and as ships become ever larger the cost of such operations escalates accordingly, particularly when the location of the casualty is remote or subject to adverse environmental conditions. Notwithstanding the increasing sophistication of navigational equipment and other machinery on vessels, and the quality of training, groundings continue to occur; sometimes in circumstances which challenge credulity. In recent years these incidents have been responsible for a very high proportion of the largest claims paid under the International Group’s Pooling and Excess Loss Reinsurance arrangements. In many cases a stark contrast often exists between the apparent simplicity of the cause of the grounding, and the severity of the consequences. The film examines a number of grounding incidents and their causes and has been endorsed by the U.K.’s Marine Accident Investigation Branch and the Nautical Institute. As with previous productions, the DVD includes not only the film but also useful reference materials and web-links. The DVD has been produced with the financial support of The Ship Safety Trust with the objective of raising awareness of the causes of groundings and their consequences and to assist in avoiding unnecessary loss.
The DVD will be released in the first week of September 2013 and complimentary copies will be distributed to Members at that time. In the meantime the trailer which appears on this page provides an introduction to the program. Any further information about the DVD that is required should be requested from the Loss Prevention Department.
