Shipmanager Calls for Mandatory Experience Requirements

by Mike Grinter, Hong Kong
Lloyd’s List – 13.03.09

FLEET Management managing director Kishore Rajvanshy is appealing to the International Maritime Organization and flag states to introduce mandatory experience standards for ship’s officers. “Crewing problems have become a perennial concern of which much talk is expended but little concrete achieved,” Mr Rajvanshy told Lloyd’s List.

“It is true that that some measures have been taken in the form of more candidates being accepted by shipping companies and more training centres being established either by national governments or private concerns, but these initiatives do not deal with the vital component of solid long-term experience, which is so sorely lacking.” 

Data from P&I clubs indicated that the vast majority of claims arose out of human error. “This is normally as a result of lack of experience,” Mr Rajvanshy said. “The greatest challenge to realising a pool of experienced officers has been the crew shortage. Quick promotions, rising salaries, and shorter contracts for seafarers must be set against increased insurance costs, depreciating asset values and environmental disasters. Clearly the balance the industry strives to achieve has eluded it.”

Concerns surrounding inexperienced officers had been felt most acutely in the operation of tankers, particularly product, chemical and gas carriers. This was due to the relative complexity of the ships and the fact that they constitute the least affected class during the economic downturn.

Oil majors applied stringent standards to crew experience on their owned vessels and/or chartered in tonnage either on term or spot charter. Typically oil majors required officers with a minimum number of years in rank or same-company employment, and previous employment on tankers. The number of years were aggregated by the master and chief officer and the chief engineer and senior watchkeeping officer.

On a spot contract, for example, the master and chief officer must have served at least two years between them with the same shipping company and served jointly time-served onboard tankers for at least six years. In the case of a time charter, the requirements rose to five years of company employment, nine years served on tankers, and three years served in rank.

With poaching in the industry rife and, until recently, myriad opportunities onshore, fulfilling such requirements had become difficult.

“Personally, I believe it should be compulsory for an officer to have served three to four years qualified as master before obtaining his master’s licence,” Mr Rajvanshy said.