Statements on the Human Element

"........if we turn to consider how some of the global issues, such as safety, security and protection of the environment, manifest themselves within the specific maritime context, perhaps the most urgent concern we may be able to identify lies with the human element in shipping. I remain firmly convinced that the human element holds the key to unlocking solutions to many, if not all, of the problems the industry needs to address today.

Take the issue of safety, for example. It is not for nothing that IMO's Maritime Safety Committee has asked all its subsidiary bodies to keep uppermost in their minds, in any regulatory work they undertake, the role of the human element in safe operations; general analyses of marine accidents and incidents have revealed that, given the involvement of the human element in all aspects of marine endeavours (including design, manufacture, management, operation and maintenance), almost all marine casualties and incidents involve human factors."

Efthimios E. Mitropoulos, Secretary-General of the International Maritime Organization, London, 6 March 2006 IMarEST World Maritime Technology Conference