Storing maintenance and incident records: is there space for improvement?

Maintenance, incident and accident records are necessary for shipping companies to comply with regulation. Additionally these records are often used in conjunction with or separately from the Planned Maintenance System (PMS) for asset management, maintenance planning and spares. Moreover, appropriate use of PMS with correctly applied monitoring can significantly reduce accidents. Reduction of accidents is of paramount importance for safety of crew and passengers as well as protection of the environment and company reputation. This paper is based on a case study performed using the incident/accident records of a shipping company. The existing record keeping system was reviewed as part of the case study. Findings of the review included duplication of information, manual handing of the records for reporting purposes and lack of automation. Moreover, it was identified that information was not well correlated between the available company systems and departments, leaving room for improvement. Based on the results of the case study a gradual system of possible improvements was developed. The proposed system is presented through this paper. Initially the approach provides more automation and eliminates duplication. Benefits include less manual handling, automated and standardised plotting and reports and elimination of human error. The second stage includes the integration of the record keeping system with the PMS and records of Safety and Environment departments. Finally, the proposed system suggests the incorporation of Continuous Based Monitoring in order to optimise maintenance management and reduce incidents/accidents, increase fleet profitability and assist in meeting the business KPIs.