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tered anchorages in established hubs Guidance versus execution
to offshore transfer points exposed to The real problem, therefore, is not the
adverse weather, and from operations absence of solutions, as systems for risk
run by highly professional service pro- assessment, vessel screening, and struc-
viders to those managed with minimal tured operational oversight are clearly in
resources. OCIMF’s flexibility allows place and well-documented. The issue
the guidance to cover this diversity. Yet lies in the lack of consistent execution
flexibility comes at a cost. Broad rec- across the global fleet.
ommendations, while adaptable, dilute Execution requires resources, expertise,
enforceability and leave ample room for and constant vigilance. Many operators,
interpretation, especially in cases when particularly those who conduct STS
traders organise the STS operations operations infrequently, lack the organ-
instead of oil majors. isational depth to maintain a robust risk
In practice, responsibility for implemen- management system for these special-
tation is pushed down to vessel oper- ised transfers. Proper screening of coun-
ators, whose competence, resources, terpart vessels and service providers,
and oversight vary significantly. This thorough risk assessments tailored to
variability creates an uneven safety local conditions, and structured post-
landscape where outcomes depend as operation feedback are all resource-
much on the operator’s safety culture intensive processes. When companies
and management capacity as on the view compliance as a matter of occa-
existence of guidance itself. It is this sional reference to a guideline rather
divergence that distinguishes low-risk than as an embedded operational prac-
vessels from high-risk ones: the quality tice, the likelihood of incidents increases.
and robustness of the operator’s Safety Human and organisational factors exac-
Management System (SMS) practices erbate the challenge. Fatigue, commu-
ultimately determine whether incidents nication barriers among multinational
are prevented or allowed to occur. crews, inconsistent training standards,
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