6th SAFETY4SEA London Forum: Armed conflict is reshaping risk for ships and seafarers

September 26 ------ The 6th SAFETY4SEA London Forum took place on 24 September 2026, at the ICS Maritime Hub in London, bringing together maritime professionals to discuss safer ship operations, key human-factor priorities and the evolving geopolitical risk landscape at sea.

The event featured three expert panel discussions, interactive dialogue with delegates, audience questions and live polling, alongside presentations from Apo Belokas, Capt. Konstantinos G. Karavasilis and Loukia Pantelidi.

Moving beyond Port State Control compliance

Apo Belokas, Managing Editor of SAFETY4SEA, delivered a presentation titled Beyond PSC Compliance: The Road to Performance Excellence, examining how shipping companies can move from reactive compliance towards proactive performance management.

Drawing on RISK4SEA data and analysis, he outlined key performance indicators that companies should monitor for every Port State Control inspection and asset. He also presented the latest list of top-performing companies across sixteen shipping segments.

Belokas highlighted the need to move away from fragmented monitoring and late intervention, which can contribute to otherwise avoidable detentions. PSC performance is often assessed only after an inspection has taken place, rather than before the underlying risk materializes. Similarly, crew welfare is frequently treated separately from compliance risk, despite its direct influence on operational performance.

He stressed the importance of connecting operational performance with emerging risk pressures and monitoring deviations from normal operating conditions, rather than relying solely on static performance indicators.

Strengthening preventive controls onboard

Capt. Konstantinos G. Karavasilis, Regional Director, Loss Prevention, UK P&I Club, explained how routine shipboard operations can move outside safe limits when changing conditions weaken established controls.

Drawing on a practical P&I loss-prevention perspective, he considered how effective preparation, continuous monitoring and dynamic risk assessment can help prevent incidents. He also explored how smart applications can complement professional judgement and how lessons from incidents and near misses can be converted into practical, verifiable improvements onboard and across the fleet.

His presentation focused on preventive controls before and during shipboard operations, reassessing risk as conditions and assumptions change, combining smart applications with professional judgement, and verifying that lessons learned have been applied effectively.

Understanding how seafarers perceive risk

Loukia Pantelidi, Psychologist and Product Expert at OneCare Group, explored whether seafarers perceive risk in the same situations in which injury claims indicate that risk occurs.

Drawing on Gard’s 2026 Crew Claims Report and a pilot survey involving 100 seafarers, the presentation examined four areas: contract stage, time of day, routine work and experience.

The findings revealed both gaps and areas of alignment between perceived risk and claims experience, indicating that safety awareness alone may not fully explain safety performance. Loukia Pantelidi considered how fatigue, stress, workload, sleep, familiarity and adjustment may influence the way risks are perceived and managed, supporting the case for a more contextual and proactive approach to crew risk prevention.

Safer Operations: Risk, Technology and Human Performance

The first panel examined emerging operational risks and lessons from incidents, practical loss-prevention measures onboard, human-centered technology and the relationship between crew welfare, operational performance and safety outcomes. The discussion brought together: Capt. Konstantinos G. Karavasilis, Regional Director, Loss Prevention, UK P&I Club; Capt. Ann Pletschke, Project Lead for the STEER Project, The Nautical Institute; Ellie Besley-Gould, CEO, Sustainable Shipping Initiative and Peter Broadhurst, Trustee, Sailors’ Society.

Experts highlighted that safe performance depends not only on procedures and technical systems, but also on the conditions in which seafarers work. Fatigue and insufficient recovery, competence gaps, mental health pressures, communication, leadership quality and the willingness to speak up were identified as interconnected operational concerns.

Technology can strengthen situational awareness and decision-making, but the panel stressed that it must support rather than replace professional judgement. Effective implementation also requires appropriate training, crew involvement and an understanding of how new systems affect workload onboard.

Crew welfare was therefore considered a material safety factor rather than an issue separate from operational performance. When fatigue, stress or poor working conditions weaken human performance, the effectiveness of established safeguards may also deteriorate.

Human Factors at Sea: Leadership, Wellbeing and Competence

The second panel addressed evolving competence and training requirements, leadership and psychological safety onboard, physical and mental health, fatigue and the development of resilient working environments. Participating experts were: Loukia Pantelidi, Psychologist and Product Expert, OneCare Group; Heidi Heseltine, Founder and CEO, Diversity Study Group; Thomas Boddy, Policy Officer, International Chamber of Shipping and; Dr Jens Tülsner, Founder and CEO, Marine Medical Solutions

The discussion reinforced the need to view competence, leadership, inclusion and wellbeing as connected elements of operational safety. Leadership behavior, trust between officers and crew, the response to mistakes and the culture established by the company ashore can all influence whether seafarers feel able to raise concerns. Formal reporting channels alone may be insufficient if crew members believe that speaking up could carry personal or professional consequences.

Looking ahead, the panel considered how competence requirements are broadening. Technical knowledge will remain fundamental, but seafarers will also need stronger digital and automation skills, situational awareness, decision-making abilities, leadership, communication and the capacity to learn and reskill throughout their careers.

The discussion also underlined that resilient performance cannot be secured through individual coping mechanisms alone. Companies must provide working conditions, leadership practices and support systems that enable people to perform safely and seek assistance when needed.

Geopolitical Risk at Sea: Security, Operations and Crew Resilience

The final panel examined how armed conflict, sanctions, missile and drone attacks, piracy, route disruption and rapidly changing security conditions are affecting vessel operations and seafarers.

The panel featured: Rob Gale, Head of Training, International Maritime Employers’ Council; Simon Grainge, Chief Executive, International Seafarers’ Welfare and Assistance Network; Alan Nugent, Nautical Affairs Manager, INTERCARGO and; Peter Schellenberger, Director, Novamaxis Pte Ltd.

A central message was that armed conflict presents a fundamentally different challenge from conventional piracy. Measures such as citadels, razor wire and established anti-piracy procedures cannot provide the same protection against missiles, drones, mines or attacks involving state and military actors.

The panelists stressed that seafarers are civilians carrying out their work and should not become targets of geopolitical conflict. They also warned that uncertainty has itself become a significant operational and welfare risk, as crews may be required to operate in areas where security advice, route availability and operating conditions can change rapidly.

The consequences extend beyond direct attacks. Sanctions can affect insurance, supplies, port access and crew repatriation, while opaque ownership structures, false registries and vessels operating outside established standards make accountability more difficult. Disruption to ships carrying essential commodities can also have wider implications for global trade and food security.

While many of these threats lie beyond the industry’s control, the panel identified measures that shipping companies can take. These include access to reliable and timely intelligence, continuous reassessment of voyage risks, clear two-way communication between ship and shore, effective crisis decision-making and stronger coordination with governments, flag States, naval forces and security organizations.

The authority of masters and crews to raise concerns was also emphasized. Commercial pressure should not prevent those onboard from challenging a voyage decision when conditions have changed or safety may be compromised. Seafarers should be fully informed about the risks they may face, supported before and during high-risk voyages, and provided with appropriate psychological support afterwards.

The panel also considered the responsibilities of charterers and other parties whose commercial decisions influence vessel movements. Greater cooperation between commercial, operational and ESG functions is needed to ensure that crew welfare and safety are not separated from chartering decisions. Investment in welfare should be recognized as supporting retention, vessel care and sound decision-making, rather than treated solely as an additional cost.

Looking ahead, the discussion called for closer cooperation among governments, regulators, employers, unions, charterers, ports and welfare organizations. It also highlighted the need to develop leadership, communication and mentoring alongside technical competence. In this context, IMEC is preparing a global mentoring course for seafarers and shore-based personnel.

Above all, panelists urged the industry to bring seafarers more directly into the debate, ensuring that their experience informs security planning, welfare arrangements and future policy.

"Across the Forum, one message was clear: safer shipping requires more than compliance or technology alone. It depends on connecting data, operational controls, leadership and crew wellbeing so that emerging risks are identified early and crews are supported to make safe decisions."

Source: safety4sea.com