Improving crew workload

Dorte Lomholt, Special Advisor,

Danish Maritime Authority

The role of the Danish Maritime Authority

• To promote health and safety on clean sea

AND

• to effectively strengthen the competitiveness and employment of the maritime industries.

To achieve this, better and less burdensome regulation is needed!

From where do the administrative burdens arise?

National27%

EU31%

IMO42%

Action needed on all levels

In Danish maritime regulation

Finding out where the shoe pinches - asking the seafarers and the land offices

• 796 Danish seafarers took part – among them 181 shipmasters

• 72 % of major Danish ship owners contributed

• 95 % of gross tonnage in the Danish merchant marine is covered

of working time spent on perceived administrative burdens

20 % 9 %

Seafarers Land offices

Seafarers burdensType of burden Evaluation area Average

share

Extent of

burden

Port- and pre-arrival documents

Very time consuming 13,7% Low

Very annoying 18,3% Medium

Inspections (incl. vetting)

Very time consuming 35,6% High

Very annoying 35,0% High

Drills Very time consuming 11,2% Low

Very annoying 10,6% Low

Internal quality assurance systems

Very time consuming 38,8% High

Very annoying 39,9% High

Handling of ISPS requirements

Very time consuming 21,3% Medium

Very annoying 39,9% High

Journals Very time consuming 15,0% Low

Very annoying 10,1% Low

"Paperwork in itself does not help me to

run a safe and efficient ship"

" I think we are at a tipping point… More paperwork might result in less safety"

"The last 10 years have seen a tremendous increase in the administrative side of the job"

Important messagesfrom seafarers (Masters)

Sometimes I think paperwork is more important than the actual quality of the ship and crew"

Seafarers feel they have no voice

"Many of us feel that we are the last link in the chain and cannot

feed enough back"

"Could we have more proper and efficient channels to deal

with unfit procedures?"

"What if we had a system to suggest adaptations and removal of inappropriate procedures?"

TO SEAFROM LAND

FROM SEATO LAND

Shipowners also have some issues

"Our world is complex – and we wish for fast and solid assistance from authorities to always be available"

"We respect national maritime authorities – but they can also give

us a hard time"

"A more thorough digitalisation of interactions with authorities would

help us"

"Too many flag state-specific rules are unnecessary "

"Often, we have to submit documentation that is not useful –

or requires too much time"

• Mechanisms (national, EU, IMO) to assess consequences when putting forward new procedures.

• Evaluation of existing regulation

• Less manual working procedures• More standardisation and digitalisation

• Better coordination, exchange and sharing of data– one stop-shop (inspections, ports, authorities)

The way forward?

Cutting red tape can be a gift in itself