NYK Conducted Crisis-response Drill On VLCC

On September 22 as part of the company’s Remember Naka-no-Se Campaign,* NYK conducted a crisis-response drill based on the scenario of a serious collision occurring on an NYK-owned and operated very large crude oil carrier (VLCC) in Osaka Bay.

Cooperation from the Maritime Bureau within Japan’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT); 5th Regional Coast Guard Headquarters of Japan; Kobe Coast Guard; and related parties** enabled this drill to be realistic and practical.

A summary of the drill is provided below.

A VLCC sailing in Osaka Bay collides with a domestic coastal cargo ship, causing a crude oil spill of cargo from the damaged area.

1)　NYK set up a crisis-management headquarters and communication channels using online tools upon receiving an urgent report from the VLCC’s ship-management company about the accident.
2)　NYK reported information about the accident to MLIT’s Maritime Bureau, the Japan Coast Guard, and related parties.
3)　NYK worked with the 5th Regional Coast Guard Headquarters to secure the safety of the damaged VLCC and nearby vessels, as well as the oil pollution control system and other measures.
4)　NYK made press releases as the situation progressed and held a mock press conference where Yuji Nishijima, NYK executive officer, and Hisaya Higuchi, NYK executive officer, explained the accident to the press.

The NYK Group will further advance its safety management systems, positioning navigational safety and reliabiliy with striving to preserve the ocean, the global environment, and biodiversity as one of its most important tasks, and will aim to be a leading company in the safety field.

* Remember Naka-no-Se Campaign
This campaign has been conducted every year to remind NYK Group members of the importance of safe operations and to ensure that lessons remain learnt from the oil spill that occurred in July 1997 from the VLCC Diamond Grace.
During the two-month campaign, 401 NYK Group executives and employees visited 241 vessels to exchange opinions and strengthen safety awareness between onboard crew and offshore staff under this year’s slogan of “2S” (Seiri = Sorting, Seiton = Setting-in-order). Due to scheduling conflicts, this year’s crisis response drill was held in September.

** The drill was also supported by the Japanese Shipowners’ Association, the Maritime Disaster Prevention Center, and Kyoei Tanker Co., Ltd.

On February 3, 2021, NYK released the “NYK Group ESG Story,” which aims to further integrate ESG into the company’s management strategy and promotes activities that contribute to the achievement of the SDGs through business activities. On March 24, 2022, NYK released the updated “NYK Group ESG Story 2022,” which introduces initiatives for integrating ESG into the Group’s management strategies set forth in the “NYK Group ESG Story” and provides a partial explanation of the Group’s sustainable growth strategy from a long-term perspective.

The NYK Group will encourage new value creation as a sustainable solution provider by placing the highest priority on safety at all sites, including ships, aircraft, terminals, and trucks.

Reference: NYK