Concerns about Carnival safety system

http://www.skagerrak.org/

Today, the Skagerrak Foundation has written to the Paris MOU, US Coast Guard and the European Maritime Safety Agency. Carnival Corporation / Costa Grociere have left us concerned. We refer to the public statements and conclusions before investigation and maritime inquiry and the public blaming the captain - without acknowledgement of the Company's responsibility or reference to the ISM code.

Maritime authorities must therefore take action. Paris MOU and the member states should take the necessary measures to ensure that the quality of the safety system in Carnival Corporation / Costa Grociere is satisfactory, and that the ISM-code is implemented in the Company in accordance with the intentions and visions of this very important regulation.

The Company, Carnival Corporation / Costa Grociere has given public statements already sunday evening where they place the responsibility on captain Schettino.

The Skagerrak Foundation misses the perspectives and intentions of the ISM-code:

http://www.imo.org/ourwork/humanelement/safetymanagement/pages/ismcode.aspx

3 COMPANY RESPONSIBILITIES AND AUTHORITY

3.1 If the entity who is responsible for the operation of the ship is other than the owner, the owner must report the full name and details of such entity to the Administration.

3.2 The Company should define and document the responsibility, authority and interrelation of all personnel who manage, perform and verify work relating to and affecting safety and pollution prevention.

3.3 The Company is responsible for ensuring that adequate resources and shore-based support are provided to enable the designated person or persons to carry out their functions.

ISM - code rule 3

Some of the incidents that have been reported in the media implies serious doubts on whether Carnival Corporation / Costa Cruises Grociere understand - and have implemented - the Company's main responsibility of the safety, referring to international conventions and the ISM Code:

• Historical incidents - such as former practice of accepted deviations of the captains sailing plan

• The state of the bridge manning and command and events that took place before and after the grounding

• The evacuation and the ship in relation to the Company's operational standard and procedures, and the professional seamanship of the relevant officers and the crew

• The Company's public statements, conclusions and the surprising immediate public blaming of captain Schettino short after the accident

The cruise industry is the fastest growing travel sector in the world. We understand that the total number of people cruising worldwide is more than 15 million travellers every year. Cruiseships visit every part of the world that can be reached by sea. Safety must be priority number 1.

We have also contacted the maritime authorities in Scandinavia with similar message.

Our letter to Paris MOU in English version

Our letter to Scandinavian autorities, Norwegian version

Oppdatert: 22.01.2012 21:45
av Carina Grelland Harsem