ClassNK Releases Ship Management Guidelines That Draw on Successful Case Studies

ClassNK has released "Prime Shipmanagement Guidelines," which aim to achieve sustainable ship management with safety as the highest priority. With an evolving environment surrounding ship management, including fuel transition, stricter regulations, and crew shortage, ClassNK aims to enable flexible responses to unexpected situations by drawing on lessons learned from successful case studies that had not received much attention before.

At sea, where unpredictable conditions are common, case-by-case judgment is essential to ensure safe navigation. Studies have shown that the majority of maritime accidents are caused by human factors. While technological advancements and the introduction of environmental regulations have contributed to improving the safety and efficiency of ship operations and management, they have also increased the burden on stakeholders by requiring the acquisition of new knowledge and skills that were not previously demanded. Under such circumstances, relying solely on the conventional approach of eliminating risks based on past failures is no longer sufficient to ensure appropriate responses.

In response, ClassNK has focused on an approach to safety management known as "resilience engineering," which emphasizes analyzing success factors and increasing their likelihood of occurrence and achieving objectives not only through strength but also through adaptability. Based on these approaches, the guidelines present