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KOMSA Plans to Reduce Human Casualties from Maritime Accidents by 10%, Taking Prevention Measures for 2026 in Earnest

WriterMaritime Transportation Policy Office
Hits26
Date2026-02-06 14:22:50
ContentKOMSA Plans to Reduce Human Casualties from Maritime Accidents by 10%, Taking Prevention Measures for 2026 in Earnest - Identifying risk factors for traffic lanes and using the AI Risk Index to prevent accidents caused by human errors. - Strengthening voluntary safety management by introducing a “Ship Planner” feature to the Maritime Transportation Safety Information System (MTIS). - Making safe sea routes by implementing a safety and health system for fishing vessel crew and enhancing safety management. < The main points of the 2026 maritime accident prevention measures of the Korea Maritime Transportation Safety Management Authority (KOMSA) >  “Reducing human errors” in maritime accidents by creating a safe environment at sea. o Identifying risk factors for major traffic lanes: figuring out policies that need to be improved in major traffic lanes and nearby ports, holding a public contest for finding risk factors for traffic lanes, and preparing brand tasks of maritime accident reduction. o Introducing AI-based safety management: mainly focusing on high-risk ships by using the AI-based Risk Index, offering ship safety inspection services through cooperation with companies specializing in this matter, and promoting a project to mark crew space on a shelling plate.  Transitioning into “voluntary safety management” based on data analysis. o Transitioning into voluntary safety management: introducing a “Ship Planner” service for ships registered to MTIS, developing additional services by linking information on crew members and insurance, and providing a mobile navigational alert notification service. o Reinforcing operation safety: providing information on dangerous places based on Geographic Information System (GIS) ship track data and building a safe operation environment by conducting risk assessment of obstacles to navigation.  Providing more “support customized to the needs on the ground" through a safety and health management system for fishing vessel crew. o Strengthening a support system: establishing a thorough management system tailored to the needs of fishers, such as allocating experts to accident investigation centers in five regions across the country and operating them. o Creating a safe working environment: carrying out a “project to create safe workplaces” and building a safe fishing environment by improving a mobile risk assessment platform, “Fishing Vessel Crew Safety Talk.”  Ensuring “maritime transportation safety” by strengthening checks on high-risk passenger ships and ports of call. o Reinforcing safety management: focusing on high-risk passenger ships, conducting examinations on risk factors for docks and facilities in ports of call by using drones, and ensuring safety, including education for crew members. On January 22, the Korea Maritime Transportation Safety Authority (KOMSA, President Jun-Seok Kim) announced that the institution would establish “maritime accident prevention measures for 2026” and implement them with the goal of reducing the number of maritime accident casualties by 10% from 136 (tentative total) * in 2025 to 122 in 2026. * Data from the Korea Maritime Safety Tribunal (the tentative total of maritime accident casualties in 2025 as of January 2026) KOMSA plans to carry out specific tasks focused on four areas: reducing human errors by creating a safe environment at sea; transitioning into voluntary safety management based on data analysis; providing support tailored to the needs on the ground by implementing a safety and health system for fishing vessel crew; and strengthening examinations on high-risk passenger ships and ports of call.  “Reducing human errors” by creating a safe environment at sea The institution will attempt to remove risk factors in major traffic lanes in order to decrease human errors (84%), which are one of the root causes of maritime accidents. In legal sea routes and nearby ports, it plans to analyze waters with a high frequency of accidents and average ship speeds by using data from the Geographic Information System (GIS), based on which KOMSA aims to discover tasks for the improvement of relevant systems. In addition, the institution will hold “Find a Traffic Lane Risk Factor Contest” among crew members to identify risk factors by region and develop its brand tasks to reduce maritime accidents. KOMSA will also strengthen safety management of ships based on AI. In particular, it will focus on 750 high-risk ships*, which it identified on the basis of the “Maritime Accident Risk Index of coastal and offshore fishing vessels.” The institution developed the Risk Index in 2025 using AI. * 250 ships involved in accidents due to negligence, 200 ships suffered from capsizing and sinking, 50 ships had collisions and near-collisions, and fires and explosions occurred in 250 ships. The institution will also operate a “ship safety diagnosis service” for 1,020 ships in cooperation with specialized companies to prevent engine damage and fires. It will also carry out a “project of marking crew space on a shelling plate” on 100 ships to increase the likelihood of saving a life in accidents.  Transitioning into “voluntary safety management” based on data analysis. KOMSA will offer support for the “voluntary safety management” of ship operators by enhancing the Maritime Transportation Safety Information System (MTIS) app service ver. 2.0, which it recently released. To this end, the institution will introduce a “Ship Planner” feature for ships registered to MTIS, which supports voluntary safety management, such as the next ship survey and an engine overhaul. It also plans to discover tasks to improve systems by linking crew and insurance information data. It will continue to enhance user-centered services, including a safety alert notification service based on operation patterns. The institution will utilize digital information to advance a system that assists the decision-making of ship operators. It aims to provide a risk recognition service using ship track data as well as a “risk assessment service of navigational obstacles” that assesses the risk of ship navigation, such as waters where floating objects repeatedly occur.  Providing more support “tailored to the needs on the ground” by implementing a safety and health system for fishing vessel crew KOMSA aims to allocate experts to accident investigation centers in five regions across the country, including Mokpo, Busan, Pohang, Jeju, and the Central Area, and operate these centers. It also plans to establish and enhance a “rigorous management system tailored to the needs of fishers” in order to successfully settle a safety and health system for fishing vessel crew in the field. In addition, with the aim of reducing damage to fishing vessel crew practically, the institution will promote a “project to create safe workplaces*” that supports the replacement of outdated equipment and the removal of harmful and risk factors on ships. * A budget for the project is KRW 1.4 billion which is provided by the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries with 100% of the budget being covered by government expenditures. The project targets almost 200 fishing vessels engaged in ultra-high-risk sectors. The institution also plans to create a working environment where fishing vessel crew members can engage in fishing activities safely by advancing a mobile risk assessment platform, “Fishing Vessel Crew Safety Talk” with AI. * Its main features include automatic risk detection and guidance on improvement measures, and voice interpretation and display of document translation of foreign languages.  Ensuring maritime transportation safety by strengthening examinations on high-risk passenger ships and ports of call. KOMSA will carry out on-site examinations mainly focused on 15 high-risk* passenger ships to strengthen the safety management of these ships that are used by the public. * High-risk passenger ships are those that experienced maritime accidents more than twice over the past five years (2021 to 2025). The institution aims to step up measures for preventing maritime accidents of passenger ships, including forming a consultative group of experts to diagnose the condition of equipment during ship maintenance and providing on-site education about methods for ship maintenance. It will also expand examinations on ports of call. KOMSA will extend the safety management of ports of call, such as examining risk factors – damage to docks and facilities – and enhancing obstacle detections on and under water using 38 drones including 34 aerial drones and 4 underwater drones. Jun-Seok Kim, President of KOMSA said, “There is a desperate need for transformation in a safety management system, such as improving the operation environment of fishers at sea and coming up with measures to reduce human errors.” “KOMSA will make safe sea routes that all Koreans can use and enjoy the benefits. To this end, we will spare no effort to reduce maritime accidents by focusing all of our capabilities on this matter,” he added. An infographic of the 2026 maritime accident prevention measures of the Korea Maritime Transportation Safety Authority (KOMSA) Employees of KOMSA offer a “ship safety diagnosis service” An employee of KOMSA carries out an intensive examination of ships for the winter season Employees of the Korea Maritime Transportation Safety Authority support a fishing vessel safety surveyor of the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, who conducts on-site checks KOMSA holds a meeting with fishers on Juju Island in 2025 to discuss the characteristics of the region’s maritime accidents and their prevention measures. An image of a port of call that KOMSA shot for safety management of coastal passenger ships using drones

Rising Risks in Fire and Explosion Accidents on Ships During the Winter Season: There Is a Need for Reinforcing Prevention-Centered Management

WriterMaritime Transportation Policy Office
Hits58
Date2025-12-19 14:27:00
Content Rising Risks in Fire and Explosion Accidents on Ships During the Winter Season: There Is a Need for Reinforcing Prevention-Centered Management - The share of accidents that happened in winter rebounded in ten years: The rate of casualties was also high in a worsening marine weather environment. - Accidents mostly occurred on fishing and old vessels: in more than half of these cases, the original point of ignition was “electric equipment." - KOMSA expands prevention activities, such as examining vulnerable vessels and enhancing safety guidance. Maritime accident statistics used in this article are the result of KOMSA’s independent analysis using the Maritime Transportation Safety Information System (MTIS), whose operation was entrusted by the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries (MOF) to the Korea Maritime Transportation Safety Authority (KOMSA), based on the statistics of the Korea Maritime Safety Tribunal of MOF. <Summary> • The long-term trend of fire and explosion accidents on ships and changes in the marine weather environment are as follows. o The analysis result of the share of fire and explosion accidents on ships that happened in winter among four seasons over the past ten years (2015-2024) showed that the figure rebounded to 26.5% last year (2024) after it was on a downward trend, which was higher than the ten-year average of 22.9%. o Over the past ten years (2015-2024), the number of days when huge waves (swell waves) were generat was the highest in winter. o Over the past five years (2020-2024), the number of days when special weather reports of low waer temperature were issued increased every year, becoming a long-term trend. → “In case of maritime accidents, it delays rescue efforts, obstructs efforts to escape, and raises the risk of hypothermia”. o In reality, over the past five years (2020-2024), the occurrence rate of casualties in maritime accidents was the highest in winter, which was 3.9%. • The characteristics of ship type, age, and the cause of fires in the midst of an upward trend of fire and explosion accidents on ships in winter are as follows. o Last year (2024), the number of fire and explosion accidents on ships increased by 81.8% year on year. (from 22 ships to 40 ships) o The characteristics of ships that experienced these accidents over the past five years (2020-2024) are as follows. &diams; Fishing vessels accounted for 72% (577 vessels) of the total accidents, and the share of coastal and offshore fishing vessels was high. &diams; Old vessels, whose age was more than 20 years, accounted for 41.5% (287 vessels) of the total accidents. o Over the past ten years (2015-2024), more than half of fire and explosion accidents on ships started in electric equipment, such as wires, storage batteries, and switchboards. • KOMSA’s measures to prevent fire and explosion accidents on ships during the winter season are as follows. o In 2025, KOMSA carries out more rigorous safety inspections on 200 vessels vulnerable to fire tailored to the needs on the ground. &diams; The institution conducts inspections on electric, fire extinguishing, and heating equipment, the compliance of the ban on overloading a power outlet, and power terminals to see whether they are not loose. * In 2024, 100 vessels vulnerable to fire went through rigorous inspections on electric, fire extinguishing, cooking, and heating facilities. o The institution plans to distribute effective safety items, including automatic fire extinguishing devices for small spaces and fire-retardant tapes, in a phased manner. In the past ten years, fire and explosion accidents on ships have been on a downward trend. However, it turned out that last year it showed an uptick in these accidents due to the recent persistent worsening marine weather environment, including low water temperature and huge waves. The Korea Maritime Transportation Safety Authority (KOMSA, President Jun-Seok Kim) analyzed the share of ship fire and explosion accidents by season over the last ten years (2015-2024) through the Maritime Transportation Safety Information System (MTIS), whose operation was entrusted by the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries (MOF) to KOMSA, finding out that the share of these accidents happened in winter went up to 26.5% last year following a continuous downward trend. The figure is higher than the average of 22.9% in this ten-year period. (Refer to Fig.1) On top of that, last year these accidents in the winter season increased by 81.8% year on year (from 22 ships to 40 ships), the contrary to the fact that fire and explosion accidents went down in other seasons. (Refer to Fig. 2) KOMSA analyzed that the worsening maritime weather environment in winter caused this change. The institution analyzed the number of days when huge waves (swell waves) occurred over the course of ten years (2015-2024) to check the long-term trend of weather patterns, finding out that the number was the highest in winter among the entire four seasons. In addition, in the recent five years (2020-2024), the number of days when special weather reports of low water temperature were issued has risen each year, showing a long-term trend. (Refer to Figs. 3 and 4) This change could lead to delays in rescue efforts, obstruction in escape efforts, and an increase in the risk of hypothermia. Real-life cases have already confirmed this. In February this year, off the coast of Buan-gun, Jeonbuk-do, crew members escaped to the sea without wearing life jackets due to a fire on the ship. However, because of high waves, strong winds, and powerful currents, a rescue attempt was delayed. As a result, just five of the twelve crew members were rescued, and the rest seven crew members went missing. The occurrence rate of casualties in maritime accidents was also the highest statistically in winter over the last five years (2020-2024), which was 3.9%. (Refer to Fig. 5) In the meantime, regardless of season, many fire and explosion accidents happened on fishing vessels, in particular, old ones, and the original point of ignition was electric equipment in many cases, according to the analysis. Over the past five years (2020-2024), among ships, where fire and explosion accidents occurred, fishing vessels accounted for 72% (577 vessels), and the share of coastal – complex, gill net, and fishing pots – and offshore – gill net, jigging, and stow nets on anchor – fishing vessels, was high. (Refer to Fig. 6) And 41.5% of ships (287 ships) involved in these accidents were old ones, which were more than 20 years old. (Refer to Fig. 7) KOMSA, in order to figure out the cause of fires, conducted an independent analysis using the written decision data of the Korea Maritime Safety Tribunal, where each accident case goes through a thorough investigation. As a result, it turns out that over the course of ten years (2015-2024), in more than half of ship fire and explosion accidents, a fire began in electric equipment, such as wires, storage batteries, and switchboards. The institution is enhancing safety activities centered around the ground to prevent these accidents in winter. Last year, it focused its inspections on the electric, fire extinguishing, cooking, and heating facilities of 100 ships in berths, where small ships are densely located. This year, for 200 ships vulnerable to fire, KOMSA checks electric equipment, such as wires, storage batteries, and switchboards, the compliance of the ban on overlading a power outlet, and power terminals to see whether they are not loose as well as offers customized safety education programs. The institution also distributes effective safety items such as automatic fire extinguishing devices for small spaces and fire-retardant tapes in an incremental manner. Jun-Seok Kim, President of KOMSA stated, “As the risk of fire and explosion accidents is increasing even while ships are berthed or being repaired during a fishing moratorium, complying with safety guidelines on the ground is more important than anything.” “KOMSA will do our utmost to prevent maritime accidents in the winter season by carrying out inspections, in particular, focused on vulnerable ships and increasing safety support tailored to the needs on the ground,” he added. Figure 1. The share of fire and explosion accidents which occurred in winter over the past ten years (2015-2024 / unit: %) * Source: “Marine accident statistics” from the Korea Maritime Safety Tribunal ** Analysis: The Maritime Transportation Safety Information System (MTIS) Figure 2. The current status of increase and decrease in ship fire and explosion accidents by season year on year in 2024 (unit: %, the number of ships) * Source: The “2024 Extreme Weather Report” of the Korea Meteorological Administration ** Analysis: The Maritime Transportation Safety Information System (MTIS) Figure 3. The number of days with the occurrence of huge waves over the past ten years (2015-2014 / unit: day) * Source: The “2024 Extreme Weather Report” of the Korea Meteorological Administration ** Analysis: The Maritime Transportation Safety Information System (MTIS) Figure 4. The number of days with the issuance of special weather reports of low water temperature over the past five years (2020-2024 / unit: day) Figure 5. The occurrence rate of casualties by season over the past five years (2020-2024 / unit: %) * Source: “Marine accident statistics” from the Korea Maritime Safety Tribunal ** Analysis: The Maritime Transportation Safety Information System (MTIS) Figure 6. The current status of ship fire and explosion accidents depending on the usage of ships over the past five years (2020-2024 / unit: the number of ships, person) Figure 7. The current status of ship fire and explosion accidents depending on the age of ships over the past five years except for 107 ships, whose age is not identified (2020-2024 / unit: %, the number of ships)