North P&I Club writes new evidence handbook to boost shipping's professionalism
The 125 million GT ‘A’ rated North P&I club has written a new handbook on collecting and preserving factual evidence to help raise levels of responsibility and professionalism within the international shipping industry.
The Nautical Institute, the world’s leading body for maritime professionals, has published The Mariner’s Role in Collecting Evidence – Handbook as a companion to its guide The Mariner’s Role in Collecting Evidence – in Light of ISM. The handbook was launched at a major maritime seminar in Newcastle upon Tyne today (12 November 2010).
Speaking at the Institute’s seventeenth biennial ‘The Mariner and the Maritime Law’ seminar at the Hilton Newcastle Gateshead hotel, North’s joint managing director Paul Jennings said, ‘Shipping is one of the safest and most sustainable forms of global transport but we face increasingly punitive legislation and liabilities. We thus need to do everything we can to demonstrate to politicians, regulators and the media that seafarers are responsible professionals – which includes responding correctly to and learning from any mistakes. This new handbook will help us all to do just that.’
Tony Baker, head of loss prevention at North and the handbook’s main editor, said, ‘The most important reason for collecting and preserving good factual evidence is to establish what really happened. Once that it is known, it is relatively easy to work out how it can be prevented from happening again. The process leads to an increased awareness of potential problems and hence greater care and professionalism on board, making life safer for everyone.’
Since the first edition of The Mariners’ Role in Collecting Evidence was published in 1989 it has become the principal industry guide to the collection, preservation and use of evidence in maritime claims. The new handbook provides comprehensive guidance and checklists on the factual evidence which mariners should collect following different types of incidents on board ships, including an increasing range of short-lived electronic data.
According to Captain James Robinson, president of The Nautical Institute, ‘The handbook and guide form an essential package to help those at sea and ashore collect, preserve and use evidence. It will build confidence when gathering evidence to put before those unfamiliar with shipboard operations – such as doctors, insurers, lawyers and judges – as well as help to eliminate any weaknesses in ship and company organisation.’
The handbook and guide package is available from The Nautical Institute, price £45, ISBN 978 1 906915 13 1. North is publishing its own version of the handbook for circulation to members as part of the club’s comprehensive series of loss-prevention guides.
North, which is celebrating its 150th anniversary this year, provides P&I insurance to 95 million GT of owned tonnage and 30 million GT of chartered tonnage, with 4250 ships entered by 375 members. The club is based in Newcastle with regional offices in Hong Kong, Piraeus and Singapore.
Contact: Kim Heaselden +44 191 232 5221