Tackling distraction at sea - Highlights from the 11th BIMCO Tanker Safety Network meeting

The 11th BIMCO Tanker Safety Network meeting was held online on 16 September 2025, bringing together members from across the tanker sector to exchange knowledge and experience. Chaired on the day by Pranesh Kumar, General Manager and Head of Fleet at Hafnia, the session focused on “Addressing Distraction at Sea,” drawing on the recently published BIMCO Guidelines for the Management of Distraction-Causing Devices (DCD) on board ships. The network also welcomed Madie Sanchez-Nielsen, BIMCO Membership & Training Manager, as the new network lead. 

Addressing distraction at sea 

The topic of the day was “Addressing Distraction at Sea”, presented by Ashok Srinivasan, BIMCO Regional Manager & Technical Advisor based in Singapore. 

Building on recent presentations at Safety at Sea Week Singapore and a webinar by the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH), the discussion provided a comprehensive analysis of distraction-related incidents in shipping. Using real-world case studies, it illustrated how distraction has contributed to serious accidents, including the Scot Carrier collision, the Bunun Queen collision and the Ever Forward grounding. Fatalities, loss of ships and cargo and career-ending consequences for seafarers underline the scale of the issue.  

The discussion covered: 

• Defining distraction: Seafarers face distraction from both devices and competing operational tasks. Yet, near misses linked to distractions are rarely recorded.
• Types of distraction: Risks include personal device use by watchkeepers, non-key personnel distracting bridge teams and excessive use of business devices during navigation or engineering duties.
• Cognitive limits: Humans are not naturally equipped for multi-tasking. In stressful situations, focus narrows to a single channel and long re-focus time is needed if attention is broken. Education and awareness are critical.
• Bridge practices: Almost half of participants reported restrictions on device use on the bridge, but none had implemented structured reporting of distraction-related near misses.
• Mental wellbeing: Family interventions and 24/7 connectivity can undermine rest hours and rhythm. Some companies are educating families on appropriate timing of shipboard communication. It was also highlighted that supporting seafarers’ mental health and social wellbeing through counselling or self-help options, can significantly reduce distraction risks.
• Controls in practice: Members shared measures such as zero-tolerance policies for devices on the bridge, tagging systems restricting Wi-Fi during watchkeeping and limiting access to personal devices to mess areas.
• Industry benchmarking: Tanker operations often lead on safety but distraction-related risks are industry-wide and require proactive attention. 

The guidelines provide operators with a practical framework for balancing operational needs with safety, covering personal device use, bridge resource management and company-level policy. 

BIMCO’s new guidelines 

Discussion centred on the BIMCO Guidelines for the Management of Distraction Causing Devices on board ships, developed with support from the Human Element Industry Group (HEIG) and endorsed by three other organisations. The guidelines connect distraction risks to ISM Code compliance (risk assessment and safeguards), COLREGs obligations (maintaining a proper lookout “by all available means”), and wider liability implications, including insurance premiums and legal exposure. The group noted that while connectivity is vital for crew welfare, without safeguards it can compromise safety. The guidelines aim to strike a balance between seafarer wellbeing and operational safety. 

Member reflections 

Participants highlighted that mental -health support is as important as technical controls; although many companies restrict devices on the bridge, few explicitly log distraction-related near misses. A key message was the need to shift culture around multi-tasking: while some younger officers feel “comfortable” managing multiple tasks, research and experience show multi-tasking is a myth, with switch-tasking also degrading focus. 

Looking ahead 

The 12th Tanker Safety Network meeting is planned for late 2025. An invitation will follow once the agenda and speakers are confirmed. Members are encouraged to propose topics of interest or recent safety developments for inclusion in future sessions. 

Contacts 

Want to know more about this network and how you can join? Reach out to Madie Sanchez-Nielsen in our membership team or Katerina Elikonida Maroudi in our regulatory team.