As part of the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore’s Safety@Sea Week 2026, the Singapore Shipping Association (SSA) rolled out several initiatives to strengthen maritime safety culture. These efforts focused on promoting industry-wide learning, open dialogue and proactive risk management.
Key initiatives included the launch of the Singapore Near Miss Reporting System and seminar “All Hands on Deck: Strengthening Culture, Improving Outcomes”.
Together, these initiatives reinforce the industry’s shared commitment to learning from experiences, strengthening safety culture and preventing incidents before they occur.
Learning Before Accidents Happen
In maritime operations, near misses often provide critical warning signs of potential hazards, operational gaps or human-factor challenges that, if identified early, can help prevent more serious incidents. However, such lessons are not always communicated beyond individual organisations. As a result, opportunities for the wider industry to learn and improve safety practices may be missed.
To address this gap, SSA and National Maritime Safety at Sea Council (NMSSC) jointly launched the Singapore Near Miss Reporting System.
The new platform provides a confidential and independent channel for anyone to report near misses. More importantly, it allows the industry to learn from these experiences and take proactive steps to prevent future incidents.
Strengthening Safety Through Data
Modelled after CHIRP, an internationally recognised framework for confidential human factors reporting, the system anonymises all reports before analysis. This ensures that important lessons can be shared while protecting the identities of individuals and organisations.
By removing barriers to reporting, the platform encourages greater openness and participation across the industry.
Each report contributes to a growing industry-wide safety dataset. Over time, this information can help identify recurring trends, highlight emerging risks and support predictive analysis. The insights gathered can also help stakeholders make more informed decisions and strengthen safety practices across the maritime sector.
While reporting systems are only one part of the solution, meaningful improvements depend on continuous learning and the sharing of operational experiences. The platform provides a structured way for safety lessons to be captured, analysed and shared for the benefit of the wider maritime community.
Singapore Near Miss Reporting System
Please note that this system does not replace mandatory reporting requirements to MPA, flag States, or your company’s Safety Management System.
“One of the biggest challenges today is that we are largely data-blind when it comes to near misses. The Singapore Near Miss Reporting System gives the industry greater visibility of these events, helping us identify trends, better understand risks and take proactive steps to improve safety.”
Mr Loh Chun How, Executive Director, Singapore Shipping Association
The success of the initiative depends on industry participation. SSA and NMSSC encourage maritime stakeholders to make use of the platform and contribute to safer maritime operations. Every report helps build a stronger understanding of safety risks and supports efforts to prevent future incidents.
Strengthening Safety Through Learning and Dialogue
The launch of the reporting system complemented discussions at SSA’s “All Hands on Deck: Strengthening Culture, Improving Outcomes” seminar on 19 August 2026.
The seminar explored a range of timely issues shaping maritime safety today. This included psychological safety, emerging risks associated with new technologies, toolbox meeting and the importance of integrating safety discussions into daily operations.
A key theme throughout the seminar was the need to create environments where individuals feel empower to speak up. The 82 participants also exchanged perspective on adapting safety practices to evolving operational realities while maintain strong safety standards.
The lively discussions reflected the industry’s strong commitment to continuous improvement. It also highlighted the value of knowledge-sharing in strengthening safety outcomes.
Building a Stronger Safety Culture
While the seminar provided a platform for industry dialogue, the Singapore Near Miss Reporting System offers a practical mechanism for capturing and sharing safety lessons across the maritime.
Together, these initiatives demonstrate SSA’s commitment to fostering a proactive and learning-oriented safety culture. By encouraging open conversations and date-driven insights, SSA aims to help companies identify risks earlier, strengthen safety practices and prevent incidents before they occur.
To view photos of the seminar, please visit the All Hands on Deck: Strengthening Culture, Improving Outcomes photo album.