CHAPTER ONEINTRODUCTION

1.1 Background of the StudyA vessel accident is an unintended happening. Its severity may vary from no vessel damage to the complete loss of the vessel, no cargo damage, to loss of the entire cargo, and no crew injuries to deaths (Talley, Jin, & Kite- Powell, 2005). Thus, vessels safety regulations and their enforcement focus on prevention and reduction of severity of marine vessel accident. Accident involving marine vessels is common in inland and coastal navigation where requisite safety regulation may not be strictly observed. This is of serious consequence since such occurrences impact on safety of shipping in inland/coastal and inland waterways especially in developing countries.

Accidents are undesired events resulting from unexpected combination of conditions that lead to adverse consequences such as injury, loss of life, economic loss, environmental damage and damage to or loss of property (Ceyhun, 2014). Accident also refers to anything that happens without foresight and expectation; an unusual event, which proceeds from unknown cause or is an unusual effect of a known cause (Akten, 2006). The terms ’marine accident and incident’ and ’marine casualty’ denote undesirable events arising from shipping operations (International Maritime Organization (IMO), 1996). Accidents occur in almost all spheres of human existence and in most industrial occupations – manufacturing, construction, marine and air transportation, atomic energy etc. Accidents are not only injurious to lives and properties, but also hinder corporate business success. Consequently, a high level of safety performance is essential in hazardous work environments. As an unintentional event, accident involving marine vessel is common in inland and coastal navigation where requisite safety regulation may not be strictly observed. For marine organizations, an important concern is how to prevent vessel casualties involving personal injury, deaths, property and environmental damage by establishing and maintaining a culture of strict adherence to safety practices.In Nigeria, the number of marine accidents increases withincrease in the level of oil prospecting and other maritime transport activities along the Niger-Delta and coastal regions (Onwuegbuchunam, 2013). For example, it has been documented that between year 2000 and 2009, a total number of 552 persons died either as a result of marine vessel and boat capsizing or collision in inland waters of Nigeria (Dogarawa, 2012). Thus, an average fatality rate of about 55 deaths per year excluding vessel and cargo losses which have been recorded in Nigeria’s coastal and inland waterways in the last ten years (Ekpo, 2012). When accidents such as described above occur at sea, it is the norm within the industry to investigate, with the view of identifying the cause(s), evaluate its effects on lives and property, proffer remedial solutions and establish a system to prevent reoccurrence in future. In the past, the causes of marine accidents were mostly attributed to technological breakdown while the human element was neglected (Wayne et al., 2005). However, with continuous improvement in vessel design, technical infrastructure and global regulatory supervision, the frequency of technological failures has diminished and human factors have become more apparent determinant of marine accidents (Dogarawa, 2012; Cormier, 1994). The understanding is that performance of a highly complex socio-technical system such as marine vessel is dependent upon the interaction between technical, social, environmental and human elements; factors that can be important contributors to incidents which could potentially lead to catastrophe at sea (Wayne et al., 2005).

Cases of marine vessel accident involving personal injury, deaths, property and environmental damage have grown in tandem with increased oil prospecting and other commercial seaborne transportation activities in Niger-Delta/coastal regions of Nigeria. The incidence of marine vessel casualties and associated risk factors generate serious concern as further empirical evidence suggests that between 75-96% of marine vessel casualties are caused at least in part by some form of human error. This study investigates the determinants of accident involving marine vessels in Nigeria’s waterways.

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