IMCA to Hold Maritime Security Seminar
The International Marine Contractors Association (IMCA) is hosting a Security Seminar in London on Thursday, November 10, which will focus on human factors in modern maritime security. Sponsored by Subsea 7 and Technip, the event is a continuation of IMCA's new series of mini-seminars – niche events tailored to tackle specific topics.
“The day-long seminar at the Millennium Gloucester Hotel in South Kensington will provide an invaluable opportunity for all concerned to understand the impact of human factors on security in key areas of the offshore marine contracting industry – both in the oil and gas, and renewable energy sectors,” explained Richard Benzie, IMCA’s Technical Director. “It will cover both the global risk to people, and the internal cyber security threat. Delegates will be able to learn and share ideas, solutions, and options in the current and future threat-environment in the industry; and will be able to take part in a series of problem solving ‘challenge’ sessions.”
Nicolas Krmic of Subsea 7, and IMCA’s Security Workgroup Chairman, will host the event and direct the seminar agenda, which includes a presentation by Chris Trelawny, Special Advisor to the Secretary General of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) on Maritime Security and Facilitation, who will be considering the ‘IMO Security State of the Nation’. The morning will then be devoted to ‘Cyber Security – the company cyber resilience at risk from self-inflicted damage’; and the afternoon to ‘Global risk exposure: The changing face of employers’ duty of care’.
IMCA has engaged with leading experts in the industry on the risks for IMCA members and their personnel in the global market place, and the ‘human factor’ in cyber security and the seminar will be facilitated by representatives of Thomas Miller Speciality (Roger Lewis; and Robert Hodge), Special Contingency Risks (Richard Scurrell), Lloyds Register QA (Rob Acker), IT Governance (Alan Calder), and Alert 24 (Rob Taylor) who will be dealing with the security aspects. Tom Holmer, from the Maritime Piracy Humanitarian Response Program (MPHRP) part of seafarers’ charity ISWAN will help to inform the seminar debate from the perspective of the seafarer.
“In planning the free-to-attend seminar we aim to inform delegates on dealing with corporate security risks in the offshore energy sectors through a mixture of short, thought provoking, topical presentations and energized group debate and experience-pooling to explore good practice and where value can be added,” Benzie explained. “We have four objectives for the day:
- To provide better awareness of the current and future sources of security threat
- To inform delegates how these risks can be mitigated and contingency measures most effectively employed
- To enable the sharing of experiences and lessons learnt/identified
- To identify specific issues for IMCA members, and others, concerning duty of care for their employees.
“A fifth unwritten objective is always to ensure plenty of networking opportunities. At this event we have time before the seminar begins, at lunchtime, and a chance to exchange findings at afternoon tea at the close of what we know will be an extremely stimulating day.”