Articles on S-VDR

A Marine Underwriter's Perspective

Risk reduction by fitting S-VDR is a reality.

There is no doubt that the shipping industry can learn a lot from the world of Aviation and this is certainly a point of view held by eminent parsonages such as Lord Carver and Lord Donaldson. The lessons learnt from, “black-box” information following air crashes has obviously done a lot to improve the safety in this industry.

The lessons learnt have also given the operators data to enable them to reduce the human element proportion of air disasters. So how can any one argue against a similar initiative in the Marine world?

As underwriters we can see the potential advantages that VDRs will bring in reducing the insurance risks.

There is always room for improvement, and, as lessons are learned from VDR playbacks ship operators will be able to respond with meaningful loss prevention actions which will have a beneficial effect on their insurance results.

VDRs will also provide a reliable and unbiased witness at times of accidents involving other parties. Here again VDR evidence will do a lot to reduce legal costs and the sterile wrangles about who is to blame.