Page 190 - ΝΑΥΤΙΚΑ ΧΡΟΝΙΚΑ - SEPT 2025

Safety management
and commercial pressure to complete Enhanced risk
operations quickly all contribute to management in STS
unsafe shortcuts. These are systemic operations requires
issues that guidelines alone cannot a shift in mindset:
resolve. Without a proactive safety cul- operators must view
ture and sustained investment in com- STS safety not as
petent personnel, the risk of accidents a compliance exercise,
remains entrenched. but as a strategic
commitment.
Embedding risk management in the
SMS
Enhanced risk management in STS
operations requires a shift in mindset:
operators must view STS safety not as
a compliance exercise, but as a strategic
commitment. The International Safety
Management (ISM) Code provides a nat-
ural foundation for this. Section 1.2.2.2
of the Code obliges companies to estab-
lish safeguards against identified risks.
For STS, this obligation translates into
careful preparation, structured training,
and systematic oversight before, during,
and after each transfer.
Practical measures can significantly
improve outcomes. One essential step
is the conduct of STS drills involving both
participating vessels and STS specialists.
These drills enhance coordination, build
familiarity with emergency responses,
and reduce miscommunication. Along-
side drills, operators should retain for-
mal records of each crew member’s STS
experience, ensuring that hard-won les-
sons are not lost through crew rotation
and can be considered when planning
future manning.
Another priority is dedicated training
for personnel transfer by basket, as this
remains one of the most hazardous
phases of STS operations, with a number
of tragic accidents recorded in recent
years. Structured training programmes,
simulation exercises, and periodic
onboard refreshers help mitigate this risk
and prepare crews to manage emergen-
cies effectively.
Each STS operation should also be
preceded by a specific risk assessment.
This assessment must be more than
a generic checklist; it should take into
account past incident data, the risk
profile and track record of the selected
STS Service Provider, prevailing and
forecast weather conditions, the quality
and certification of fenders, hoses and
other equipment, and the competence
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of the Person in Overall Advisory Control
(POAC). By tailoring risk assessments
to each operation, operators can address
the unique hazards associated with the
specific transfer, rather than relying on
assumptions.
Finally, the use of class-approved port-
able chocks for baby fenders offers
a simple yet effective safeguard against
equipment slippage, a recurrent source
of accidents. Combined with struc-
tured feedback loops, post-operation
debriefings, and continuous oversight,
these measures help transform OCIMF
guidance from static documents into
dynamic, living practice.
The role of STS service providers
A further complication lies in the vari-
ability of STS Service Providers. While
OCIMF provides the framework, the
frontline responsibility for safe execu-
tion rests with the vessel operators’ level
of awareness and preparedness. Unfor-
tunately, the prudence, competence, and
transparency of STS service providers
are highly uneven across the industry.
Over the past five years, STS operations
have also been exploited by certain trad-
ing interests to facilitate the transfer
of sanctioned cargoes. This develop-
ment has encouraged a segment of STS
service providers and charterers to oper-
ate with limited transparency, engage
in high-risk practices, and exhibit min-
imal accountability. The result has
been a rise in large-scale incidents and
reputational risks, demonstrating how
commercial misuse can undermine
the integrity of STS operations and
magnify operational hazards.
To raise the baseline, vessel operators
and charterers must demand greater
transparency and accountability. One
effective measure would be the estab-
lishment of centralised risk profile
records for STS service providers. Data-
bases including incident histories, audit
results, and performance ratings would
enable operators to make informed deci-
sions and discourage the use of provid-
ers with poor records. Transparency
of this kind creates accountability and
fosters positive competition.
In parallel, the enhancement of STS
clauses in charter parties can pro-
vide powerful contractual leverage.
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