Safety@Sea Week 2015
Launch of National Maritime Safety at Sea Council (NMSSC)
Group photo of National Maritime Safety at Sea Council members at the opening of Safety@Sea Week 2015.
At the opening of Safety@Sea Week 2015, held on 17 August, the MPA announced the establishment of a National Maritime Safety at Sea Council (NMSSC) to spearhead the drive for maritime safety on a national level and to ensure the sustainability of safety efforts. Mr Lucien Wong, Chairman, MPA, was the Guest-of-Honour at the launch of Safety@Sea Week 2015.
The NMSSC is chaired by Professor Richard Lim, the current chairman of ST Logistics and an adjunct professor at Nanyang Technological University's School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, and comprises 14 other professionals from across the industry with extensive maritime-related experience. The council's role is to work with members of the maritime industry in Singapore and overseas to help raise safety standards. It also serves as an advisory body to the MPA.
The council was established following a maritime safety review launched by the MPA in the wake of four maritime incidents in local waters last year. These include three ship collisions that caused oil spills and the sinking of a Singapore-licensed motorised sampan.
At the launch of the NMSSC held at Marina South Pier, the MPA also announced a two-year partnership with IBM to develop new analytics-based technologies aimed at improving maritime and port operations here.
Professor Richard Lim, who will chair the new 15-member National Maritime Safety at Sea Council, giving his address at the event launch
(From left to right) Mr Tim Greisinger, Managing Director, IBM Singapore and Mr Andrew Tan, Chief Executive MPA signing the MOU, witnessed by Ms Janet Ang, Vice President, Systems of Engagement & Smarter Cities, IBM Asia Pacific and Mr Lucien Wong, Chairman of MPA
To mark the opening of the Safety@Sea week campaign, the MPA and some members of NMSSC went onboard ships to distribute information kits to the shipmaster such as posters and decals that promote safety at sea. Since the launch of the Safety@Sea campaign in July last year, MPA has reached out to over 500 shipping companies and distributed some 2,000 information kits.
MPA Chief Executive, Mr Andrew Tan, and NOL Group President and CEO, Mr Ng Yat Chung, striking a Gong on Singapore-registered APL Phoenix to signify safety first practices observed onboard
Distributing MPA safety information kits and posters
2nd Maritime Safety Forum
As part of Safety@Sea Week 2015, the MPA kicked off the 2nd Maritime Safety Forum on 19 August 2015 to share and promote safety practices for the maritime community.
The 2nd Maritime Safety Forum to share and promote safety practices for the maritime community
For the second year running, participants of the Maritime Safety Forum had the opportunity to hear from various industry experts on navigation and shipboard safety, passenger ferries and cruise safety as well as the legal and insurance aspects of shipping. Professor Richard Lim, Chairman of the newly established National Maritime Safety at Sea Council delivered the keynote address at the forum. Mr Andrew Tan, Chief Executive, MPA, who was also the Guest-of-Honour for the event, presented certificates of commendation to 10 PSA Marine harbour pilots who have displayed exemplary effort in safe practices.
Group photo with industry partners and harbour pilot recipients of the certifications of commendation
FEREX 2015 Emergency Exercise
In conjunction with Safety@Sea week 2015, the MPA held a half-day emergency preparedness exercise, code-named 'FEREX 2015' on 21 August 2015. The annual ferry exercise (FEREX) aims to test the readiness of various agencies to respond to ferry mishaps in the Port of Singapore.
Fire-fighting vessel simulating the putting out a fire
More than 350 personnel from 10 agencies and companies took part in this full deployment exercise which included the deployment of resources at sea at the Eastern Special Purposes A Anchorage for rescue operations, manning of emergency operations centre at the Port Operations Control Centre at PSA Vista, and landing of casualties and rescued persons at Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal.
Passengers being rescued from the ferry
MPA's Assistant Chief Executive (Operations), Captain M Segar said, "Safety must never be taken for granted and it is our role as the national maritime agency to ensure that we are operationally ready for exigencies at sea. MPA conducts regular emergency exercises with various agencies and leveraging on these exercises, we can develop greater synergies between our partner agencies through the sharing of best practices."