New Drills Designed to Offer Increased Safety for Cruise Ship Passengers

October 27, 2012

The cruise ship industry is attempting to improve the safety of their ships after the devastating Costa Concordia cruise ship accident in January 2012. The accident resulted in the loss of 32 lives -- lives that may have been saved if the crew was better prepared to deal with potential accidents.

Reports completed by experts who examined the accident note that the Concordia's crew was not prepared to handle an accident of this magnitude. Not only did the crew fail to follow evacuation instructions, but many crew members were confused about the proper procedure to follow. In addition, others simply were not trained to handle emergency situations of any kind.

One policy was recently enacted that aims at avoiding this type of tragedy in the future, particularly in evacuation situations that could lead to wrongful deaths. The new Life Boat Loading for Training Purposes policy provides crew members with additional safety training.

The policy requires a drill every six months to practice lowering, filling and maneuvering a lifeboat. It is supported by both the Cruise Lines International Association and European Cruise Council. Members that will likely implement the policy include the major cruise lines Carnival, Royal Caribbean, Princess and Holland America.

Impact of New Policy on Passenger Safety

As cruise ships grow in size it is important that regulations and safety procedures also evolve. The above policy is a step in the right direction, but it may not be enough.

One primary complaint of those who critique cruise ship safety is the lack of information provided to passengers. Cruise ships often do not run safety drills for the passengers before leaving the dock. As a result, since the passengers are not aware of the evacuation procedure, accidents that occur early in the cruise schedule, like the Costa Concordia's, can result in catastrophic loss.

Critics are calling on cruise ship companies and government officials to pass additional regulations that would require a drill earlier, in a manner more similar to what passengers experience when boarding an airplane. When preparing for a flight, the passengers receive evacuation and safety information before the airplane takes off. Ideally, a cruise ship would provide similar information to the passengers before setting sail.

Unfortunately, even with this information accidents can happen. If you or a loved one is injured in a cruise ship accident, compensation may be available to cover medical and rehabilitative expenses related to the accident, as well as other financial losses such as loss of income.

Contact an experienced cruise ship accident and injury attorney to better ensure your legal rights and remedies are protected.

Article provided by Law Offices of Charles D. Naylor
Visit us at http://www.cruiseinjuryhotline.com