FacebookTwitterEmailLinkedin In an exclusive interview with the Transport Accident Investigation Commission (TAIC), Chief Commissioner David Clarke highlights a recurring theme in recent maritime inquiries: safety systems often fail to identify critical components lacking sufficient backup or redundancy. Where possible, safety should rely on engineering solutions rather than administrative controls. When rules and procedures are necessary, it’s vital that personnel understand their purpose; otherwise, there’s a higher risk of non-compliance and unsafe workarounds. Referring to past incidents investigated by TAIC – from the MV Rena grounding in 2011 to the more recent loss of control of the Shiling – Clarke emphasizes the need for regulatory changes. On one hand, updates to New Zealand’s Maritime Transport Act are necessary to enable Maritime NZ to ban ships that show repeated poor performance in surveys or port state control inspections. On the other hand, there are several issues the IMO must also consider. Overall, a shift in mindset is required: senior executives in the maritime sector need to adopt a forward-looking, systems-level perspective on the factors that increase the likelihood of accidents. RelatedNews NTSB investigation: Towing vessel collides with bulk carrier and sinks UK MAIB Investigation: Engine failure and subsequent fire on board var jnews_module_21347272_0_6a01f0a6a1a03 = {"header_icon":"","first_title":"Related","second_title":"News","url":"","header_type":"heading_8","header_background":"","header_secondary_background":"","header_text_color":"","header_line_color":"","header_accent_color":"","header_filter_category":"","header_filter_author":"","header_filter_tag":"","header_filter_cpt_post_tag":"","header_filter_cpt_tribe_events_cat":"","header_filter_cpt_web_story_category":"","header_filter_cpt_web_story_tag":"","header_filter_text":"All","sticky_post":false,"sticky_post_filter":false,"post_type":"post","content_type":"all","sponsor":false