Seaspan Corporation partnered with Ocean Network Express (ONE) to conduct a large-scale simulation crisis response drill on December 2, 2021, including the vessel, Seaspan Belief. ONE and Seaspan’s respective management teams planned this collaboration over two months and structured it to ensure they could benefit from exposure to realistic incident circumstances. It provided Seaspan with an opportunity to stress test our incident response processes internally and with our customers, enabling us to reinforce our operational excellence and strong customer relationships.
Seaspan’s operations teams established a simulation emergency room in our Vancouver office with a live feed to ONE’s headquarters in Singapore, while simultaneously in direct contact with the Master of Seaspan Belief. This arrangement allowed for a more realistic scenario and ensured that the crew gained experience from the exercise. The teams conducted the drill in real-time to mirror the dynamic nature of the incident response. To provide an opportunity to stress test multiple crisis response processes, the scenario chosen included simulated crew injury, fuel spillage, fire, and cargo loss, as well as media coverage requiring formal statements and updates.
During the exercise, the teams provided guidance to the Master on responding to the simulated fire, oil spill, injury, and loss of containers. Pertinent ship plans and publications had to be consulted to deal with the flooding, manage the ship stability, and fight the fire with the correct medium to prevent a further escalation of fire. Additionally, arrangements had to be made to notify mandatory bodies such as the Hong Kong Marine Department, the relevant coastal state, the maritime rescue coordination center, our customers and media management, amongst others.
This drill was a great success, and the results showed that both Seaspan and ONE are well-prepared to respond to complex and dynamic situations. Prevention of incidents through excellent safety and operational practices remains our top priority, but regular crisis response drills will continue to be part of our focus on Operational Excellence and close Customer Partnerships.
