After 354 Accidents, Shipping Industry Urged to Rethink Enclosed Space Safety

A new survey of more than 900 seafarers has exposed a persistent gap between safety procedures and the realities of working aboard ships, prompting renewed calls for action to prevent deaths in enclosed spaces.

Ship management association InterManager says it has recorded 354 enclosed space accidents between 1996 and 2026, involving tankers, bulk carriers, containerships, passenger vessels and other ship types.

Despite decades of safety campaigns, training requirements and regulatory attention, the association says many of the same problems continue to put seafarers at risk.

The latest survey found that crews often struggle with overly complicated procedures, insufficient time and manpower,