Accident-Response Training Exercise Conducted by NYK
July 19, 2007
Nippon Yusen Kaisha (NYK; head office: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo; president: Koji Miyahara) conducted an accident-response training exercise on July 18 based on a hypothetical collision and subsequent oil spill from the VLCC Takasago Maru. The program was conducted in collaboration with Japan' 4th Regional Coast Guard and the ship-management company TMM (head office: Minato-ku, Tokyo; president: Yoshihiko Inamura).
Tapping lessons learned from the Diamond Grace oil spill that occurred in July 1997, the NYK Group has conducted a month-long campaign every July to ensure that all its employees have a proper understanding of the importance of safe operations. The exercise on July 18 was part of this annual series.
During the exercise - which assumed the collision between a VLCC and another ship, followed by a crude-oil spill from the tanker - the protection of human life and the prevention of environmental pollution were given top priority. In addition, the Crisis Management Center established within NYK, relying on information offered by the ship-management company, played a role in determining coping strategies in cooperation with the 4th Regional Coast Guard and provided instructions along with related parties. The exercise allowed NYK, TMM, and the coast guard to confirm how a response to such a crisis would be coordinated.
In the last stage of the exercise, a news conference was simulated, with the goal being swift and accurate communication to the media about the accident and measures taken. Many tough questions from reporters were fielded in a tense true-to-life simulation. The speed in providing information and the significance of the content of the information were acknowledged by the participants, and the resulting program was determined to be highly effective for the NYK Group as a whole.