An Officer on Watch (OOW) is a deck officer delegated the job of watch-keeping and navigation from a ship’s “bridge”. Situated at the top of a vessel is the ‘bridge’ which is also known as the Command Centre, and from where all communication is transmitted and received. While keeping a watch from the bridge, the Officer on Watch functions as a representative of the ship’s master and is accountable for the safe navigation of the ship.

The shipping industry, which is the mainstay of world trade and commerce, is no exception to the new trends happening in the world. They are at the forefront of adopting state-of-the-art technologies and resources to stay competitive and meet the demands of a flourishing consumer class population which is benefitting enormously from globalization. International shipping has helped open up the world economy, enabling the unrestricted movement and exchange of commodities among nations. It’s a gigantic and complex industry ever under pressure to exploit the new digital technologies, raw materials and fuels.

Let’s begin by figuring out the magnitude of atmospheric pollution caused by the maritime industry from an example. Barely 15 large mega-ships account for an equivalent amount of pollution as caused by 760 million cars in the world. Today, shipping is the sixth biggest contributor of emissions and accounts for 2.5% of global greenhouse gases. It is estimated that the maritime industry emits approximately 940 million tons of carbon dioxide annually.

According to the World Shipping Council, between 2008 and 2019, an average of 1382 containers was lost at sea each year. This adds up to a staggering 16,584 containers lost during the period.

Every year, moving empty containers costs the shipping industry in excess of 20 billion dollars, according to Boston Consulting Group. This equates to 12% of the shipping industry’s operating costs.

Shipping Containers pass through varied climatic conditions & environments and are subject to severe weather on the seas and ports. They come in contact with harmful pathogens like mold, bacteria and viruses together with pollen, liquids and other dangerous material.

Ballast Water can cause serious ecological imbalances due to the release of non-native marine species in coastal areas.