Industry adopts safety policy
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Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) and the European Cruise Council (ECC) have announced the adoption of a new safety policy concerning lifeboats and safety training.
The legislation, which regards the loading of lifeboats by crewmembers, is an result of the Cruise Industry Operational Safety Review, which was launched in January 2012.
Specifically, the policy means that each lifeboat must be fully loaded and launched at least once every six months for crew training purposes. This rule is being put in place for all oceangoing members of CLIA and the ECC with immediate effect.
The Life Boat Loading for Training Purposes policy is being launched to ensure crewmembers are familiar with manoeuvres if such an occasion actually occurred.
“The cruise industry continues to work on a global level to improve the safety of passengers and crew, which is our number one priority,” said Christine Duffy, president and CEO of CLIA. “Since January of this year, and in keeping with our efforts to continuously improve operational excellence, the global cruise industry has voluntarily adopted seven wide-ranging safety policies. We remain fully committed to exploring further enhancements in a number of areas that will add to the industry’s excellent safety record.”
The review team was advised on the move by a series of individual experts – who are also looking at other measures to improve safety and security at sea. These initiatives will then be put to the International Maritime Organisation for formal submission.
“The Cruise industry’s Operational Safety Review demonstrates our on-going determination to ensure that cruise ships remain the safest vacation option and the safest part of the shipping industry,” explained Mafredi Lefebvre. “This policy, like all the policies that have already been developed by the Operational Safety Review, exceeds current international regulatory requirements and has been externally verified by world renowned independent experts.”
He added: “Our industry is committed to improving our safety performance in the short, the medium and the long term I believe our approach supports the goal of European Commission of re-launching their ‘Quality Shipping Campaign’ as set out in its Maritime Policy 2009-2018.”