Dry bulk shipping has invested heavily in procedures, reporting frameworks, and safety controls over the past decade. Yet despite that progress, serious incidents and fatalities continue to persist across the industry — particularly in high-risk operational environments where pressure, complexity, and fragmented accountability intersect. That reality framed the discussion during the “Safety Under the Spotlight — Addressing High-Risk Issues” panel at the RightShip Forum in Greece. Moderated by Darren Ryan , Chief Operations Officer at RightShip, the session brought together operational, technical, and safety perspectives from across the maritime sector: Apostolos Poulovassilis , Director EMEA, OneOcean Georgios Evdaimon , Marine Manager, TMS Dry Ltd Ali Darani , Senior Manager Inspections RISQ, RightShip Panagiotis Nikiteas , HSQE Manager/DPA/CSO, Maran Dry Torkil Eide Solstad , Digital Product Manager, Wilhelmsen Ships Service The conversation examined where critical risks remain concentrated, why some safety challenges continue despite stronger compliance frameworks, and what is needed to drive more consistent and sustainable improvement across the industry. Beyond compliance: the gap between procedure and practice One of the strongest themes to emerge was the growing recognition that safety performance cannot be measured solely by the existence of procedures or controls. Increasingly, the challenge lies in whether those systems are practical, consistently applied, and effective under real operating conditions. Georgios Evdaimon noted that the industry has improved safety management over the last decade through risk assessments, behavioural safety programmes, and stronger operational frameworks. However, he acknowledged that fatalities and serious incidents remain stubbornly present across enclosed spaces, mooring operations, and ship-to-shore activities. Several panellists cautioned against responding to incidents by continually adding new procedural layers