THE international shipping management association, InterManager, has launched an urgent global survey appealing to seafarers to help solve a decades-old maritime tragedy: the persistence of fatal enclosed-space incidents.
This call to action follows the International Maritime Organization (IMO)'s recent tightening of regulations designed to enhance safety in enclosed spaces. Despite these new, stricter rules which mandate enhanced training, hazard registers, and rescue preparedness, fatalities continue to plague the industry.
"We've been discussing enclosed-space safety for many years, and despite the rules, people are still dying in confined spaces at sea," said Captain Kuba Szymanski, secretary general of InterManager. "The IMO has now strengthened its rulings, but we need to hear from those on the frontline to understand what's really happening onboard."
Captain Kuba Szymanski, InterManager secretary general PHOTO FROM INTERMANAGER The sheer scale of the problem highlights the urgent need for action:
- Fatalities doubled: In 2023 alone, 14 enclosed-space incidents were reported, resulting in 34 fatalities, nearly double the number recorded the previous year.
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- Bulk carriers are hotspots: Approximately 41 percent of all reported incidents occur on bulk carriers, primarily in cargo holds or access areas.
- The leading killer: Oxygen depletion remains the top cause of death, often linked to insufficient ventilation or incomplete risk assessments.
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- No real change: The annual number of these accidents has remained relatively unchanged since InterManager began compiling statistics in 1998.
The IMO's amendments strengthen requirements by demanding that only trained and authorized personnel enter or stand by during enclosed-space operations. All ships must now also maintain detailed, space-specific registers of potential hazards.
InterManager, in cooperation with The Nautical Institute and IMarEST, believes these rules aren't translating into safe practice onboard. Their anonymous survey seeks to gather honest, first-hand insight to identify the practical barriers that remain, not just those documented on paper.
InterManager urged all seafarers, shipboard officers, superintendents, HSEQ staff, and contractor personnel to take a few minutes to complete the anonymous online survey.
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All feedback will directly inform industry action plans on training, equipment, and safety culture, with the ultimate goal of ensuring the IMO's new regulations lead to real, life-saving improvements at sea.
The survey can be accessed here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/enclosed_space