The container ship XPress Pearl on fire off Colombo, Sri Lanka, May 26 (Sri Lankan Air Force)
Published Aug 20, 2021 4:25 PM by Paul Benecki

In this episode of the In the Know podcast, Capt. Andrew Kinsey, senior marine risk consultant for insurer Allianz, joined The Maritime Executive for a conversation about the biggest hazards facing shipping today. 

Allianz recently issued its annual report on leading risk factors, and it highlighted dangerous trends that bear watching. The insurer cautions that as ships get bigger, the size and cost of shipping's biggest accidents will rise, as illustrated by the double-ended grounding involving the 20,000 TEU boxship Ever Given in March. The ocean freight industry's persistent challenges with cargo misdeclaration, improper packing and container fires also deserve close scrutiny and enforcement, Capt. Kinsey says. And a new underlying factor - crew fatigue from excessive length of service, driven by the COVID-19 pandemic - is subtly raising the risk of human error aboard vessels of all kinds. For the details on these challenges and more, listen in on the conversation below.

This episode may also be downloaded for offline listening here. 

The opinions expressed herein are the author's and not necessarily those of The Maritime Executive.

Source www.maritime-executive.com