Container ship accident analysis due to container stacked on deck as an attempt to improve maritime logistic system

Abstract

This paper analyses factors that might cause accidents to the container ships due to containers stacked on deck, and propose applicable actions to minimize these factors. The number, capacity, and speed of hatch-coverless container ships worldwide have increased significantly since the latest decade due to the increase of world trade. There is also a trend of stacking more containers on deck in order to increase the capacity of the ships. This phenomenon makes the number of container ship accidents also increasing; particularly capsize or sink. Even though merchant ships have to comply with safety rules and regulations, but the number of accidents still significantly high. The accidents usually cause great loses to the cargo and damage the overall logistic system. The sources of container ship accidents can be categorized into the ship itself, the environment, human factor, and management. In this study, accidents data and related information were gathered through literature study, on the spot observation, and direct interviews with relevant parties. Causes of accidents were then identified using cause and effect analysis. Based on the findings from the analysis, options for overcoming them were simulated to obtain the most applicable solutions that would minimize the accidents.