Monthly Archives

September 2013

Sep 25 2013
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ALL Academy and MRM at REEDEREI NORD officers’ seminar

By Maritime Resource Management (MRM), Seminars/Conferences No Comments

On 25-27 September 2013 REEDEREI NORD LIMITED held its annual officer seminar in Limassol, Cyprus. There was an extensive programme with a good mix of suppliers discussing technical issues and a full first day where the focus was solely on non-technical issues – Maritime Resource Management (MRM). The MRM principles can be applied in any job and for that reason over 25 shore-side staff members joined the group of ships’ officers during the first day. The feedback on the topic from both groups was excellent and proved, yet again, that MRM unites not only the people onboard but also ship and shore. There was about 30 ships’ officers attending the seminar and with the many different nationalities represented, the discussions about cultural differences were both enlightening and entertaining. At the seminar there were people from Bulgaria, China, Croatia, Cyprus, India, Peru, Poland, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Sri Lanka, South Africa, Sweden, U.K. (and possibly a few more countries) attending.

ALL Academy's MRM seminar for REEDEREI NORD LIMITED, Limassol, 25 September 2013

REEDEREI NORD LIMITED’s seminar participants gathered for the Maritime Resource Management workshop

This was REEDEREI NORD LIMITED’s sixth annual officer seminar and Martin Hernqvist of ALL Academy participated also in the first one held in 2008. In 2008, the seminar was held at NORD’s office in Limassol but due to the large size of the group, this year’s seminar was held in the conference hall of the Curium Palace Hotel.

REEDEREI NORD was established in 1964 by late Mr. Klaus E. Oldendorff. The Group currently comprises of two separate management companies REEDEREI NORD GMBH located in Hamburg, Germany, with focus on the dry tonnage and REEDEREI NORD LIMITED located in Limassol, Cyprus, with its main focus on the wet tonnage. Jointly they manage a fleet of nearly 50 vessels including container vessels, bulk carriers and tankers.

Sep 18 2013
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Tärntank Ship Management reinforces MRM at officer conference

By Maritime Resource Management (MRM), Seminars/Conferences No Comments
Maritime Resource Management seminar for Tärntank Ship Management on 18 September 2013. Photo taken upon arrival to Styrsö Bratten.

Just arrived to the island of Styrsö for Tärntank Ship Management’s officer conference. Autumn has arrived too.

For successful implementation of MRM, refresher training is of utmost importance. This is something that Tärntank Ship Management is well aware of and for that reason MRM was a key topic once again at the company’s annual officer conferences. The first of two such conferences this year was held on 18-20 September 2013 and we had the pleasure of attending the first day with a follow-up of our “Introduction to MRM” seminar first delivered for Tärntank in 2011.

Starting off with MRM at occasions like these is usually very good. MRM aims at establishing efficient teamwork and communication – not just between people onboard, also between ship and shore. MRM therefore creates a good platform at officer conferences ensuring that there is a good, open and constructive dialogue between all participants throughout the conference.

Tärntank’s conference took place on the island of Styrsö, the closest island to Donsö island where Tärntank Ship Management is located. Donsö is a small island with about 1,400 permanent inhabitants but despite its size, there are about ten shipping companies on Donsö active in tanker shipping in the product and chemicals sectors. There are no cars on the island, people drive flatbed mopeds and electric golf carts. Huge contrasts indeed, being in Shanghai one week and on these islands the next. So many differences but the shipping companies’ strive for quality the same. But the quality of life on these islands is hard to beat.

Dinner at restaurant Styrsö Skäret following the Maritime Resource Management seminar on 18 September 2013.

Tärntank Ship Management’s seagoing officers and office staff gathered for dinner at restaurant Styrsö Skäret on 18 September 2013.

Sep 13 2013
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Maritime Resource Management Facilitator training in Shanghai, 11-13 September 2013

By Maritime Resource Management (MRM), Seminars/Conferences, Train the trainer No Comments

Just after our speech at the EMAIIF conference in Interlaken, we boarded the plane bound for Shanghai, China. A total of 16 participants had gathered for MRM Facilitator training taking place in Shanghai on 11-13 September 2013. There was a great mix of old and new acquaintances. Companies that participated at the event included Wallem Ship Management and Anglo-Eastern Ship Management who were the first in the shipping world to implement our resource management training programme for their seafarers. This was in the mid-1990s. Star Cruises, also present at the event, followed not long after. The visionary and proactive decisions made by their managements at the time, and their long-standing commitment to the concept, have substantially contributed to the success and the extraordinary claims records of these companies that we can witness today.

Maritime Resource Management Facilitator training in Shanghai 11-13 September 2013

MRM Facilitator candidates discussing the importance of Situation Awareness

The MRM Facilitator training event was the first one ever held in mainland China and it formed part of our campaign to increase the use of MRM in China. Many participants had already attended our MRM road shows in China in March and May 2013 and a conclusion made by the participants was that MRM is very much needed in China.

Companies represented at the MRM Facilitator training event were: Anglo-Eastern Ship Management Co. Ltd., BSM China, CMA CGM Shipping, Dalian Maritime University, ID Wallem Ship Management Ltd., Seaspan Ship Management Ltd., Sietc-Crew Qingdao, Star Cruises and Wallem Maritime Training Centre.

MRM Facilitators lined up for a group photo. (Martin Hernqvist of ALL Academy in red shirt in the middle.)

It is fun and most rewarding learning about Maritime Resource Management. MRM unites people from all over the world.

Sep 09 2013
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ALL Academy joined EMAIIF conference in Interlaken

By Accidents and investigations, Maritime Resource Management (MRM), Seminars/Conferences No Comments
ALL Academy presented MRM in Interlaken, Switzerland, on 9 September 2013

Interlaken, Switzerland, on 9 September 2013

For the second week in a row, ALL Academy had the pleasure of delivering the opening speech at an important maritime conference. This time it was the European Marine Accident Investigators International Forum (EMAIIF) that had gathered for their EMAIIF 9 conference in beautiful Interlaken, Switzerland. Also this time, Maritime Resource Management (MRM) was the primary topic of our presentation.

“Accident investigations are of no use if they are not used, and they are not used if the quality and standards of the reports are not good enough.” These are obvious truths discussed at the conference but the maritime industry still has some work to do in this respect. There are flag States who take their responsibility seriously but there are also those who act slowly, fail to adequately address the human and organizational factors involved and there are also those who do not publish their reports when completed. Then all the learning opportunities get lost.

Flag States around the world should use the best ones as their benchmark and shipping companies and training providers should also show their appreciation and make better use of the reports when flag States have managed to produce useful reports. It is not an easy task to dig down to the root causes and provide a reasonably clear picture of all the factors contributing to the accident.

Despite being a European conference, there were representatives also from a number of flag States outside Europe. The following flag States were participating at the conference: Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas, Canada, China, Denmark, Estonia, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, Marshall Islands, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, United Kingdom and USA.
The European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA) and the Marine Accident Investigators’ International Forum (MAIIF) also had representatives attending the conference.

The EMAIIF 9 conference took place on 8-10 September 2013 and was organised by the Swiss Maritime Navigation Office (SMNO).

Participants at EMAIIF 9 gathered for the Maritime Resource Management speech

Participants at EMAIIF 9 held on 8-10 September 2013

Sep 02 2013
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MRM presentation at NSOCC 2013

By Maritime Resource Management (MRM), Seminars/Conferences No Comments
ALL Academy at NSOCC 2013 hosted by Stena Rederi AB

NSOCC participants at Stena Rederi’s head office in Gothenburg just before the opening speech on MRM (Photo: Sanchez-Marin/NSOCC)

ALL Academy had the pleasure of delivered the opening speech at the 37th North Sea Operators Claims Conference (NSOCC) held in Gothenburg, Sweden, on 2-4 September 2013. Upon request from the organisers, we gave the participants an introduction to Maritime Resource Management (MRM), highlighted the contributing factors in maritime claims and discussed how MRM can help to prevent them. Thanks to the experienced group of participants – representing primarily ship operators, P&I Clubs and law firms – there was a good interaction and a lively discussion throughout the session.

Companies, law firms and insurers attending included Advokatfirman Lindahl, Advokatfirman Wåhlin AB, Aon Belgium, Birketts LLP, Brodies LLP, Colorline, DFDS Seaways, Gard, Gorrissen Federspiel, Greenwoods Solicitors LLP, Hafnia Law Firm, Hill Dickinson LLP, Legalink Danmark, MAQS Law Firm, Myton Law Limited, North of England P&I Association Ltd, P&I Scandinavia, Scandlines Danmark A/S, Sea-Cargo AS, Skuld, The Swedish Club, The Swedish Club Academy, Thomas Miller Claims Management Ltd., Transfennica and West of England P&I Club. The conference was hosted by Stena Rederi AB.

Dinner at Sjömagasinet on 2 September 2013 for NSOCC participants

Dinner at Restaurant Sjömagasinet on 2 September 2013 for NSOCC participants (Photo: Sanchez-Marin/NSOCC)