“No cutting corners on safety” – Mitropoulos

IMO secretary-general Efthimios Mitropoulos has warned shipping companies not to be tempted to cut corners on safety as the industry feels the financial pinch in the global recession. Addressing the opening session of the IMO's Technical Co-operation Committee, Mr Mitropoulos said: "The unprecedented financial and economic crisis that we inherited since the second half of last year has hardly left any sector, including shipping, unscathed. While the crisis lasts, some in the industry will find the temptation to make savings by cutting corners difficult to ignore. Should this prove to be the case, I would strongly advise against any cost-reducing measures compromising on safety standards, as this may not only lead to loss of life and damage to the marine environment but also harm the image of the shipping industry, making it difficult to promote its vital role as the, par excellence, safe, secure and environmentally sound carrier of world trade."

He went on to remind delegates of the "worryingly large number" of casualties and accidents, with more than 800 lives lost so far this year and 1,930 last year. Most involved non-convention ferries and older small cargo ships, and he said several of them arose from failure to implement safety standards.

(Source: Maritime Global Net)