The Costa Concordia incident has been a real shock for all of us. However, Cruise ships remain the safest mode of transportation with millions of people sailing every year around the globe. Shipping and in particular the cruise sector is one of the most heavily regulated and safety oriented industries.
 
Many questions arise following the Costa Concordia accident but we should be very careful with any comments made with regards to the cause of damage. There is no doubt that this accident will prompt discussions within IMO, US, EU, NGOs etc. to re-address design and safety rules including handling of crisis management, evacuation procedures, human element, and training, that will lead to the revision of safety regulations and procedures.

We do expect that the discussions will be multidimensional and will cover multiple safety elements. The latest press release from CLIA is self explanatory.
 
Moreover we do expect that individual companies will internally review their procedures and practices as there is always room for improvement. A starting point could be the evaluation of safety culture both ashore and onboard, as well as the provision of training on leadership and social responsibility.
 
Despite the fact we are trained to avoid errors, we all make mistakes even among the best prepared. The question that arises is how do we prepare for the unexpected?

Thus it is of critical importance to find ways to tackle dangers related to human behaviour. Today's cruise ships are very reliable with enhanced technological sophistication which can attribute to complacency. Technology also increases the need for advanced and repeated training.

Leadership must have an inquiring mind and give more value to improving  skills despite the repetitive nature of  work. Therefore the challenge has not only to do with the commitment to safety but also to the ability to develop leaders that will stay sharp and understand strengths and weaknesses.

We must also explore new possibilities for training to enhance professional standards. The primary purpose should be the provision of a wide range of independent training services and establish partnership with academic institutes for offering advanced training programmes.

We also expect that the discussion will include a detailed assessment of emergency evacuation procedures carried out after the Costa Concordia ran aground.  This will be a very helpful tool to assess weaknesses and limitations as what happened was not a scenario/drill but a real case. Safety drills and passenger tracking during emergency management procedures should also be evaluated.

It is clear that it is better for all to act preventatively but this is not always the case thus we should take initiatives and exploit additional measures to enhance safety and make the “anchor chain” more robust to the demanding environment.