Splash247: Accident risk concentrated across limited share of fleet, study finds

Published by Splash247

A new study by ShipIn Systems and marine insurer NorthStandard has found that maritime accident risk is heavily concentrated within a relatively small part of the fleet.

Its analysis indicates that a small group of vessels accounts for a disproportionate share of reported casualties, while recurring operational patterns can signal heightened risk before an incident occurs.

The Maritime Risk Report 2026 analysed casualty data from Lloyd’s List Intelligence SeaSearcher alongside operational information from ShipIn’s FleetVision platform. It found that 29% of vessels accounted for almost 70% of recorded accidents.

The report argues that fleet-wide safety programmes should be supplemented by targeted intervention on vessels showing persistent warning signs.

FleetVision scores below 75 were associated with accident rates 5.7 times higher than those recorded on vessels scoring above 85. Lower-scoring ships also recorded more repeated deviations involving bridge procedures, deck operations, mooring work and personal protective equipment.

ShipIn said the findings indicate that accident risk can be detected through routine operating behaviour before it develops into a casualty.

“Safety is still too often measured after the fact,” said Osher Perry, founder and chief executive of ShipIn Systems. “What this research shows is that risk is visible much earlier, embedded in everyday operations.”

The report also identified evidence that sustained intervention can reduce those deviations. In a separate sample of 250 vessels monitored over 12 months, average monthly deviations declined from about 230 per vessel to eight, representing a 96% reduction. The improvement covered bridge, deck safety, and PPE-related observations.

The results support a risk-based approach in which operators direct additional support and oversight to ships with recurring operational problems, rather than applying identical measures across an entire fleet.

“Our goal is to help our members identify and address risk earlier,” said Colin Gillespie, NorthStandard’s global head of loss prevention. “When ship and shore teams can see the same evidence, they can address emerging risk together.”