Perils for crews and idle fleets
The coronavirus pandemic has left a lot of ships lying idle, which has created a number of new challenges, as a new publication of the Allianz Global Corporate & Specialty (Agcs) shows.
The difficulties include delays in servicing and inspections and a shortage of lubricating oils and other materials, which can lead to damage to machinery and can also cause problems when the vessel is reactivated.
Add to this the higher pressure on crews of ships remaining in service. "Human error is considered to be one of the main reasons for damages in shipping," says Volker Dierks, who is responsible for AGCS' ships insurances in Central and Eastern Europe.
In many cases, the crews have continued working for longer periods than usual for many months. It is estimated that 75% to 96% of incidents at sea can be attributed to human error. Fatigue is one of the main reasons for this. The Agcs has drawn a list of measures to avoid damages in the shipping industry. (mw)