Maersk Supply’s risk mitigation proved ineffective in vessel sinking case, accident report reveals

The Danish Maritime Accident Investigation Board (DMAIB) has published a marine accident report on the sinking of a pair of Maersk Supply Service-owned supply ships in December 2016. The report concluded that the vessel owner’s risk mitigating initiatives were present but ineffective. 

On the night between 21 and 22 December 2016, the Danish offshore supply ships Maersk Searcher and Maersk Shipper capsized and sank in the Bay of Biscay approximately 65 nm off the French coast while being towed by another offshore supply ship, Maersk Battler, en route to Aliaga, Turkey for recycling.

Maersk Searcher and Maersk Shipper were configured in a side-by-side towing setup during the voyage. During the passage of the English Channel, the fenders between the ships on tow failed, and the ships started to interact. This caused damage to the ships’ superstructure, which eventually compromised Maersk Searcher’s watertight integrity and led to water ingress. Maersk Searcher capsized and sank, and subsequently Maersk Shipper was pulled under by Maersk Searcher. The crew on Maersk Battler carried out a controlled breakage of the towing wire and came loose of the foundered towage.

The DMAIB considered the total loss of the ships is considered a serious accident of special concern to the potential risk of harm to the marine environment. Therefore, the agency launched an investigation to establish the circumstances leading to the foundering of the two vessels. The investigation focused on the technical circumstances leading to the foundering of the two ships and on the organisational circumstances facilitating these technical circumstances.

The DMAIB published its marine accident report on Wednesday, August 30. The purpose of the investigation and the subsequent report was to understand why the accident happened in spite of the efforts made by the involved parties, the agency explained.

‘Ineffective risk mitigating initiatives’

It is concluded in the report that the loss of fenders, collision and flooding of the unmanned ships under tow had been addressed in the risk assessment carried out, and that risk mitigating initiatives were in place for each risk item. However, these initiatives were ineffective, the report said. The DMAIB concludes that the risk mitigating strategies were mainly focused on preventing risk factors in isolation and left little or no contingency for acute interaction between the risk factors.

The risk management system used by Maersk Supply Service is one of the most common in the shipping industry and the problems connected to the risk management system which led to the insufficient risk mitigation of the towing operation are hence not out of the ordinary, the report further detailed. The risk management system offers to handle risk as an objective value and to provide a structure for handling risk. However, there is no aid or control of what is put into the system when it comes to which risk factors are identified, the agency elaborated.

New preventive measures at Maersk Supply

Commenting on the accident report, Maersk Supply Service COO, Claus Bachmann, said: “The DMAIB investigation shows that the incident emerged from a unique conjunction of events and circumstances — not a single factor. The thorough and transparent description of the incident and conclusions in the report are consistent with Maersk Supply Service’s internal investigation.”

Bachmann added that, since the incident, the company has taken actions and implemented several preventive measures to ensure a similar incident does not happen again. “This includes upgrading our risk management system, implementing revised marine procedures and conducting comprehensive training programs of key personnel,” he said.

The company’s investigation team has identified preventive measures which have been implemented in Maersk Supply Service’s procedures and operations, most of them during the spring and summer of 2017. Among other things, Maersk Supply conducted thorough training programs of all key personnel on- and offshore in management of change procedures and decided to upgrade its risk management system.

In addition, per the request by French Authorities, Maersk Supply Service will inspect the wrecks and monitor any potential environmental impact twice a year until 2019.

Offshore Energy Today Staff