A major expansion of The Swedish Club’s Maritime Resource Management (MRM) global training network was achieved in 2008. Martin Hernqvist, the Club’s MRM Manager, says: “By the end of last year 10 new MRM training providers joined our global network, bringing the total number of maritime academies and training centres involved worldwide to 36.

“Most of the new network members are in Asia, but MRM representation in Europe is also growing. The Swedish Club’s MRM network will continue to expand in 2009, in line with the growing demand for training places.”

Hernqvist regards 2008 as a “breakthrough year” for MRM, which focuses on promoting safe behaviour through positive cultural change – in order to reduce the risks associated with human error. MRM courses are usually of four days’ duration and are designed for ships’ officers, engineers, maritime pilots and shore-based personnel.

Resource management training is now in its sixteenth year. The resource management concept is a counter to dangerous shipboard situations arising due to shortcomings in human performance, such as a breakdown of communication between individuals, preoccupation with minor technical problems, a failure to delegate tasks and a failure to detect deviations from correct operating procedures.

The dramatic surge in demand for MRM training over the past 12 months is a response to zero tolerance of marine accidents and spills, the potentially huge consequential costs and a move towards introducing international requirements for such training. The International Maritime Organization (IMO) is now engaged in a review of the STCW (Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping) Code and Convention. An IMO Working Group has been tasked with examining the possible introduction of requirements for resource management training.

As for The Swedish Club, its long-standing commitment to MRM recognises the substantial costs of major navigational claims and that collisions and groundings can result in pollution – possibly on a catastrophic scale. Vessel operators, for their part, appreciate that MRM is an efficient loss prevention tool. Martin Hernqvist says: “MRM training for deck and engineering officers, together with other personnel who contribute to safety and accident prevention, is an extremely direct and effective way of addressing loss prevention goals.”

Star Cruises offers an outstanding example of the benefits of successful proactive measures. This company is now in its twelfth year free of navigational claims. All Star Cruises’ officers are MRM-trained. Martin Hernqvist adds: “This Swedish Club member has developed a positive safety culture based on an unusually close relationship between sea staff and shore-based managers.”

MRM consists of 14 distinct modules: attitudes and management skills; cultural awareness; communication and briefings; challenge and response (creating an environment in which everyone feels free to question assumptions and actions); short term strategy (especially in emergency situations); authority and assertiveness; management styles; workload; state of the ship (in relation to the state of mind of those on board); human involvement in error; judgement and decision-making; leadership in emergencies; crisis and crowd management; and automation awareness.

These course modules have just been commissioned in a new, web-based format. CD-Rom-based modules for MRM training providers are to be phased out. Work is now under way to revise the 14 modules, with an even stronger emphasis on the importance of cultural issues within organisations. In addition, there are plans to introduce a new training module on pilotage. This would focus on the human interaction between Pilot, Master and Bridge staff. Martin Hernqvist says: “Many authorities in the field of maritime safety have highlighted this area as worthy of more attention.”
Work will continue this year on training new MRM Workshop Leaders and developing the skills of existing leaders. In 2008 The Swedish Club organised two Workshop Leader seminars, for around 40 participants. Similar seminars are planned for the first half of this year, for Workshop Leaders in the European/Middle East region.

Martin Hernqvist concludes: “We will also continue our highly successful company-specific MRM presentations during 2009. We will also reach out to the global shipping community by means of seminars, presentations and MRM information meetings, for national and regional shipowners’ organisations.”

For more information on MRM courses worldwide, contact MRM Manager Martin Hernqvist: martin.hernqvist@swedishclub.com or visit the MRM portal at: www.swedishclub.com/mrm

Contact:
Martin Hernqvist  The Swedish Club  Telephone: +46 31 638 400
TRS Public Relations Telephone: +44 1304 813 366

The Swedish Club
The Swedish Club was founded in 1872. It is a leading mutual marine insurance company, owned and controlled by its members. The Club writes Protection & Indemnity, Loss of Hire, Freight Demurrage & Defence, War Risks, Hull & Machinery and any additional insurances required by shipowners. The head office is located in Göteborg, Sweden, and branch offices are located in Piraeus, Hong Kong and Tokyo.

As at 1 December the Club covered 1,319 vessels for P&I, 1,497 vessels for Hull & Machinery and 677 vessels for FD&D.

More information about the Club is available at: www.swedishclub.com