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In 2022 one of the most tragic and disastrous maritime safety incidents occurred. An offshore ship sank during a typhoon, leaving 27 people dead.
Now, you might ask how this happened; simply, it was because of the wind speeds of 144 kph and a wave height reaching up to 10 meters.
The offshore vessel broke into two after dragging her anchor in Yangjiang Anchorage. Out of 30 crew members, only three survived. It was an unfortunate incident.
Most people don't know that unfortunate incidents like this happen because of negligence or human error. Still, we can arguably say safety measures weren't followed in this particular case.
If there had been a good use of modern technological devices and applications, the incident could have prevented that accident.
This means that the safety of the ship, crew members, and cargo primarily depends on the safety measures implemented to avoid hazards.
In this guide, we'll look at what marine safety is about and also list some of the modern technological devices and applications that can be used for marine safety.
Let's get started.
In short, Marine Safety is creating and implementing protective measures to keep lives and properties safe from harm or hazards through proper regulatory, managerial, and technological mediums in waterborne transportation.
Safety in the maritime industry has always been a top priority. In the past, the focus was responding to accidents after they must have occurred.
However, after further studies, the need for a more proactive approach to addressing potential hazards has recently arisen.
Currently, the vision of the marine industry is to take safety measures to the next level by adopting modern technological devices and applications to enhance the effectiveness of safety measures.
And here comes the big question: "What are the modern technologies for Marine safety?" and "How are they used"? Well, let's take a good look at them below;
Different technologies are made to improve the safety measures for the crewmen, shipping vessels, and cargo.
Some of these technologies include;
A marine gas detector is an electronic device used by crew members while on a shipping vessel in transit.
It is usually attached to the personal protective equipment (PPE). It is used to check the gaseous components of a confined space to know if it is safe before entering.
In a vessel, some spaces are small or confined; such areas can be places where potentially toxic cargo and essential equipment to the ship are kept or operated.
For example, the engine room or room where chemicals being exported are kept. All of which can be damaging to health.
So, to prevent respiratory intoxication or possible damage to health, there is a need for a gas detector to know if the space is conducive enough for health before entering.
A digital device is very important as it provides a digital representation of a vessel.
It improves the safety and efficiency of the ship by deriving data from the physical and electrical condition of the vessel and presenting it in a digital format.
The reason why it's used might depend on the targeted outcome. For example, it can be used to analyze the structural condition of a vessel or to pinpoint the areas in the vessel that are faulty and need swift attention.
It also aims for zero cargo loss, zero loss of time, zero diminishing of ship efficiency, zero safety incidents, and zero CO2 emissions.
This is another technological application that is very important for maritime safety.
Route forecasting involves the use of advanced technology to discover if a particular journey route will be weather-friendly.
It does this by collecting oceanographic and meteorological data or data received from weather satellites and other forecasting techniques.
It is done to determine the condition of the wind, ocean current, wave frequency, wind, and tide in that proposed voyage route to know if it is safe to pass through.
When a ship (especially a cargo ship) journeys through a route to arrive at its destination or port, it's now in another phase, which might either be the offloading or piling up of goods on the ship.
A crane operator normally carries out this activity. So long as a human executes this function, there is always a possibility for a mistake, which can be unsafe and delay activities in the supply chain.
On the other hand, AI-enhanced crane operations use artificial intelligence technology to perform tasks on their own or controlled remotely.
Another feature it possesses is the object detection technology. This technology can detect objects or humans nearby to avoid potential hazards and delay the awesome supply chain.
AI system accesses large amounts of data concerning the ship's structure and provides predictive analysis about everything inside the ship by processing every information from available sources.
Through this, it can identify potential risks and suggest proactive measures for crew members that can remedy the problem.
Block technology, on the other hand, is an application that takes digital records of every cargo transaction and movement, making it easier to monitor and take responsibility for every activity in the supply chain.
The smart sensors are used specifically for cargo safety. They are normally placed around the ship, especially to monitor the condition of the cargo. They are also used to measure humidity, vibration of the ship, and temperature.
Used chiefly for perishable or fragile goods, its major function is to maintain a conducive environment for cargo during the voyage to avoid them from getting spoilt or damaged by pointing out issues when they arise.
Computer-aided design CAD is software used to digitally create 2D drawings and 3D models of real-world products before manufacturing.
You can share, review, simulate, and modify designs easily by using it. It's like a system that constructs the ship's skeleton before it is manufactured. This system can also be useful for maritime safety.
It can be optimized to achieve an accurate weight and balance of the ship, which aids in keeping crewmen and cargo safe afloat while on a voyage. It creates and modifies 3D models of the ship and its parts.
It also provides different materials, colors, textures, and loads to the vessel model in addition to calculations and tests that will affect the weight and balance of the vessel.
Some available CAD software tools are CorelCAD, ironCAD, CADTalk, OpenSCAD, LibreCAD, Onshape, etc.
Technology has proven its credibility in tackling safety issues in different industries, including the Marine industry.
Effective use of technologies like Digital Twin, Route Forecasting, Smart Sensors, and others can solve some of the persistent safety issues arising in the marine industry.
As the saying goes, "Safety doesn't happen by accident." This means that it takes calculated steps, which need to be taken to avoid further losses.
For more information, questions, or marine safety inquiries, kindly visit our contact page. We are always glad to be of service to you.