eCMID and eMISW Findings Analysis

April 2020 – April 2021

IMCA has analysed 1517 vessel inspection reports uploaded between April 2020 and April 2021 into the eCMID database at www.ecmid.com and produced the following summary of key findings.

The eCMID system enables vessel operators to review and address these findings and to add commentary on corrective actions and other feedback.  This is then provided for clients and potential clients to review as part of the downloadable inspection report.

By highlighting frequent findings, we can enable vessel operators and inspectors to address common issues.  These can also be useful to IMCA’s committees as they identify priority topics for future work and guidance.

The question sets were fully refreshed in October 2018 (published as eCMID Issue 11 and eMISW Issue 4) using this data to help eliminate low value questions and ensure a focus on critical safety elements as new sections (covering cybersecurity, the Maritime Labour Convention and DP vessel reactivation) were introduced.  Since then, there has been some minor editorial changes primarily to the guidance and references contained within the individual questions resulting in the publication of eCMID issue 11.1 and eMISW4.1 in April 2020. The results extracted below are taken from the period of April 2020 to April 2021.

Executive Summary

A closer look at the numbers suggests some areas of concern. Whilst the largest non-compliance is in the area of cyber security, changes to the regulatory requirements for cyber security during the audit period may make this figure abnormally high. The 2021 to 2022 statistics will hopefully show a more reliable figure.

Another startling number is that 65 vessels do not have provision for entry into enclosed/confined spaces.  Safe management of confined space entry remains, literally, a deadly issue for the shipping industry. As recently as May 2021 two workers died inside a ballast tank onboard a dredger KSE Exo in Singapore. From the very beginning of a seafarers training we are instructed on the hazards of entering confined spaces yet we continually hear of fatalities.

The level of non-conformances revealed here demonstrate very clearly why the eCMID and eMISW are a credible and justifiable tool to ensure that we drive down the potential for accidents and incidents.

IMCA will continue to publish these figures to allow the membership to focus its efforts in reducing these numbers. It also allows IMCA to focus on areas where further guidance may be required, and to ensure that the guidance that is already in place reaches those that require it the most.

For the complete document, please open the PDF download file.