The TT Club Innovation in Safety Award aims to encourage safety innovation and celebrate practical success in improving cargo handling and transport safety. This year, there were over 30 entries submitted from organisations across the globe. The award provides great examples of innovation that could potentially inspire others in the industry to raise safety standards.

Keynote by IMO Representative

The keynote speech was given by a representative from the International Maritime Organization (IMO). Key points from the speech:

• IMO has been dealing with the consequences of the pandemic, focusing efforts on helping seafarers and addressing policy issues.
• Important work continues on cargo safety and ship-port interface issues. This includes revising the IMDG Code for container ship fires, developing guidelines for CTU inspection programs, and revising the CTU Code.
• The industry innovation recognized through this award is greatly appreciated by IMO and helps raise standards across the maritime sector.

Overview of Award Entries

The entries covered a wide range of safety innovations for bulk handling, containerized cargo, safety reporting, environmental monitoring, and firefighting. It is very encouraging to see the industry actively innovating, even during the challenging times over the last couple of years.

The Three Shortlisted Finalists

The three shortlisted finalists for the award were:

1. Kalmar - Container Checker Function for safe underside inspection of containers.
2. PSA International - Video analytics to improve safety awareness in port terminals.
3. Viking Life Saving Equipment - Hydropen system for fighting container fires aboard ships.

Winner Announcement

The winner of the 2021 TT Club Innovation in Safety Award was announced as Viking Life Saving Equipment for their Hydropen System.

Q&A with the Winner

Key points from the Q&A session with Viking:

• The Hydropen system has already been used in 2 real-life container fire incidents.
• 1-2 kits are recommended per ship depending on the ship size.
• The system can be adapted to use foam or CO2 instead of water if required.
• It is suitable for smaller feeder vessels as well as large container ships.
• The system was developed over several years in collaboration with end users.

Closing

In closing, thanks were given to all of the entrants, judges, the TT Club for sponsorship, and the audience.