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Citation |
Kruke BI, Auestad AC. Safety Sci. 2021; 136: e105163. |
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Copyright |
(Copyright © 2021, Elsevier Publishing) |
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DOI |
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PMID |
unavailable |
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Abstract |
On 19 June 1989, the Soviet cruise liner, Maxim Gorkiy hit an ice floe southwest of Spitsbergen, Svalbard. Some 30 years later, on 28 December 2018, the trawler Northguider grounded in the Hinlopenstretet, in Svalbard. In both cases, all crew members and passengers were rescued in dramatic operations. The Arctic waters are challenging for safe maritime activity, due particularly to the remoteness, limited infrastructure and harsh and dynamic climatic conditions, making preparedness a key factor for maritime safety. In light of these ship accidents and challenges, the aim of this paper is to study the special challenges of operating in Arctic waters and the requirements for preparedness to meet these challenges. When studying preparedness in Arctic maritime operations, we consider both the ship owners' own preparations and the availability of Norwegian government rescue services to provide a prompt and efficient response following a ship accident in Arctic waters. The empirical data stems from research into search and rescue regulations, capabilities and operations in the Arctic region, the SARex reports on search and rescue operations in the Arctic (Solberg, Gudmestad et al. 2016, Solberg, Gudmestad et al. 2017, 2018) and participation in the SARex exercises. Both authors of this paper are affiliated with the Arctic Safety Centre in Longyearbyen, Svalbard. The article starts with a presentation of the Arctic and the challenges of operating in Arctic waters, followed by a presentation of the theoretical framework. After a short methods chapter, we present the findings and discuss them in relation to the preparedness concept. We then provide some conclusions on the challenges of operating in Arctic waters and the preparedness equipment, knowledge and structures to meet these challenges. Language: en |
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Keywords |
Arctic; Maritime; Preparedness; Search and rescue |