'Explosive increase in digital inspections' needs solution to ensure ship safety
An 'explosive increase' in external digital ship inspections, potentially affecting the safety of seafarers, has occurred due to the Covid-19 pandemic, according to the chair of the International Transport Workers' Federation Maritime Safety Committee (ITF MSC), Odd Rune Malterud.
Mr Malterud said solutions to these digital developments for ship inspections must be 'enshrined in the International Safety Management Code' (ISM).
'It is now necessary to establish a common understanding in the individual flag states to ensure that our members are not led to believe that this is something the shipowners can decide without taking the necessary measures, and that they are not criminalised.'