WATCH – 3 Mistakes when Vessel Hardening

If you want to take ship security seriously and not just tick a box that shows you’ve done the bare minimum then you’ve got to be willing to take on more advanced measures.  Razor wire and increase speed do not always protect vessels from being hijacked, it does not stop seafarers from being kidnapped.  If it does, then why are people still being captured and held for ransom, what are vessels still being boarded?  

Here are three common misconceptions and mistakes that vessels make during their ship’s security plan;

Layers of security 

Guidance in BMP 5 and OCIMF strongly advise the use of a layered approach to vessel security, but what does that mean?  Guidance is a great place to start, but that’s exactly what it is – guidance. It should be used as a framework.  

Most vessels rely heavily on the fact that they have used razor wire on the perimeter and have internal locks on their main-deck watertight doors, some will put bars on their main deck windows.  Whilst this is a good start, many vessels will overlook the fact that there are usually access points to easily gain access to A Deck and then B Deck, such as pipework that. Let’s not forget that pirates are usually phenomenal climbers … WATCH THE FULL VIDEO TO FIND OUT MORE.

Speed

When I speak to CSO or DPA’s and ask what are their normal security procedures when transiting through an HRA, it’s usually maximum or best speed.  I can understand why they think that by reducing the time that they are exposed, the safer they are.  Most commonly container ships think that speed is their friend and they can outrun the danger but recent hijacking of container ships this year clearly shows that this is not the case.

I look at this way, imagine the HRA is a minefield full of possible hazards that are always moving position and you have very little information as to where they are.  Would you feel safer crossing a minefield just because you were running rather than walking?  Obviously you wouldn’t… WATCH THE FULL VIDEO TO FIND OUT MORE.

Razor Wire

Nearly every CSO, Captain or crew member that I speak to all say the same thing – razor wire is not good.  As a visual deterrent, well by the time a pirate can see if a vessel has it’s double-stacked concertina razor wire deployed neatly around the guardrail you are probably within 300m and have committed to the attack.  I know that right now you are probably asking yourself, ‘could I see it?’.  Try this, next time you are outside and see a fence with razor wire on top, walk 300 m away (picture yourself 3 football pitch away).  Turn back and look to see if you can still see it, chances are unless you have eyes like an eagle then you won’t.  So as a visual deterrent… WATCH THE FULL VIDEO TO FIND OUT MORE.

If you want to learn more about the alternative and advanced hardening measures that we have got available, get in touch with me and the team at ARX Mouldings.