North P&I Club Teams up With Gray Page to Provide Online Maritime Risks Map

The ‘A’ rated 180 million GT North P&I Club has teamed up with specialist maritime intelligence, investigation and risk management company Gray Page to provide a unique online intelligence picture of maritime threats and incidents. It is based on an interactive map and is launched today (14 January 2015) as part of North’s new website at www.nepia.com.

North Joint Managing Director Alan Wilson says, ‘The new maritime threats and incidents picture is the latest stage of our collaborative relationship with Gray Page, which started in 2011 with the launch of our vetting service for armed maritime security providers. The interactive tool provides real-time information on maritime incidents, casualties and threats to shipping worldwide, enabling our Members to respond quickly and immediately to current incidents.’

‘Gray Page first developed and launched the maritime threats and incidents picture back in 2013. Then last year, North and Gray Page began jointly collecting intelligence on the ‘enduring risks’ facing shipping for the purposes of populating the database,’ says Jim Mainstone, Head of Intelligence, Gray Page.

Based on an interactive Google map platform, the maritime threats and incidents picture is easy to navigate and identifies current incidents, enduring risks and danger areas. ‘It provides a unique combination of expert analysis and advice that is freely accessible, localised and focuses on both the commercial risks and physical security threats to shipping,’ says North Joint Managing Director Paul Jennings.

Commercial risks highlighted and analysed include fraud, sanctions, cargo risk, corruption and trafficking, while physical threats to ships and seafarers include piracy, kidnap for ransom, armed robbery and hijack for cargo theft.  The danger areas are based on the current UK Joint War Committee listed areas for war, piracy, terrorism and other hull perils.

The jointly produced maritime threats and incidents picture is hosted on North’s new website as well as Gray Page’s website at www.graypage.com. Mainstone says, ‘We are delighted to be continuing our collaboration with North. By combining our maritime intelligence expertise, which draws upon a reliable global source network, with North’s extensive knowledge and experience of worldwide shipping liabilities, we are able to present a practical and comprehensive picture of current maritime risks. We hope that by sharing reliable risk analysis freely with the shipping community, the industry will be able to mitigate some of the inherent risks in shipping’

North’s new website is a comprehensive redevelopment of its previous site, designed to ensure full compatibility with desktop and portable devices and provide significantly improved access to key data. The Club has also launched an updated version of its smartphone application or ‘app’, which provides a simpler, quicker way to access its online databases of staff, correspondents, entered vessels and blue cards.

Jennings concludes, ‘The maritime threats and incident picture, new website and app are all part of our continuing drive to make North’s information and services more accessible to Members and intermediaries worldwide.  By collaborating with industry experts and through exploiting new technologies we aim to continue providing the highest possible level of service to our Members.’

ENDS For further information contact: Kim Heaselden  +44 191 232 5221