Dr Roberta Weisbrod, Executive Director of Worldwide Ferry Safety Association
Worldwide Ferry Safety Association (WFSA) is a non-profit organisation (NPO) whose mission is to prevent ferry fatalities and promote the use of safe ferries globally. The organisation achieves this by collecting data and conducting research. At the same time, they also actively engage in information-sharing and undertake projects to enhance and promote safer trips on ferries.
Building a safety culture
Dr Roberta Weisbrod, Executive Director of WFSA, is committed to promoting safety at sea for ferries. At WFSA, one of the main initiatives includes maintaining the database of 25 data points involving fatal ferry accidents that have occurred since 2000. Using the database, WFSA identifies broad causes of accidents globally, as well as pinpoint localised factors in individual nations and regions.
These findings are then published and shared regularly at events, such as the 5th annual International Ferry Safety and Technology Conference held in Bangkok last year. The conference was attended by 132 participants from 17 nations, with representatives from the International Maritime Organization (IMO), the World Bank, the World Health Organization, and other key stakeholders, including C-suite representatives from international maritime agencies.
Dr Weisbrod shared that "The maritime industry should work in cooperation with other associated industries in anticipating, adapting and responding to insecurity challenges that are presented by an increasingly dynamic and vastly competitive maritime sector, and sooner, rather than later in time."
Challenges ahead
However, as with all NPOs, funding is one of the greatest barriers they face.
Dr Weisbrod said: "We have a lean operation and punch above our weight. With a little more support, we could punch higher. The board and our advisors are volunteers, and the bulk of the budget is used for paying awards and honorariums for the international student design competition."
3 Questions with Dr Roberta Weisbrod
Q1. What does it take to build a maritime safety culture?
"This can be a long discussion, but in my experience, the key factor is commitment from the top. Strong and unrelenting leadership is needed to exhort, monitor, and guide safe operations - and remember to celebrate the success at positive milestones."
Q2. What was your proudest moment in your career since you started in the maritime industry?
"Being recognised for the work we do in collaboration with others. This includes being invited by the MPA Singapore in 2017 and at successive Safety@Sea conferences - Singapore has a great reputation in maritime safety and being invited has been an honour. We also undertook an IMO mission with Bangladesh which resulted in a crew training program that is used as the basis for crew training for many venues. More recently, we were also invited by the World Bank on a mission to assist Indonesia about ferry safety; this has been a tremendous opportunity to achieve our mission and learn about some interesting innovations there. These were my proud moments."
Q3. What words of wisdom would you give to the next generation of talents entering the maritime industry?
"In times of difficulty, hold fast. And at other times, seek new challenges. And finally - and this may seem counter to the first two - if someone asks a favour and you can do it, do it.
The reason, however, may not be so surprising: when you help someone with a favour, you always learn something new, build your connections with others, and increase your capacity to accomplish things."
