Mintra: Closing the compliance gap as maritime safety risks mount

As the maritime industry braces for a rising tide of safety incidents, Mintra is urging investment in digital learning and competence management to meet the demands of a fast-changing regulatory and operational landscape. The call comes as DNV's 2024 Maritime Safety Trends report reveals a 15% rise in maritime casualties year-over-year, with ageing fleets and machinery failures accounting for the majority of incidents.

Erle Kristen Wagle (pictured), Director of Maritime Strategy at Mintra, speaking recently at the Spinnaker Maritime People & Culture Conference, highlighted the growing disconnect between policy and practice: "The compliance gap is no longer theoretical; it's real and it's growing. We need to address not just training but ongoing competency assurance to prepare our seafarers for a transformed industry."

According to DNV, over 52% of all maritime casualties in 2024 involved vessels that were over 20 years old, with machinery damage or failure alone accounting for 60% of all incidents. As legacy fleets are strained under modern operational demands and regulatory complexity grows, particularly around CO2 reporting, fuel transitions, and digitalisation, the industry is seeing safety eroded at a structural level.

Mintra's Trainingportal Learning and Competency Management System, supporting over 2.8 million users worldwide, offers a scalable and integrated solution. Through simulation-based learning, continuous assessment, and remote accessibility, the system enables maritime professionals to train on board, minimise human error, and enhance operational confidence.

"Digital learning is a critical investment in risk mitigation," Wagle stated. " In today's fast-changing environment, it's the only scalable way to maintain safety and compliance. With traditional classroom training unable to keep up, digital solutions ensure crews can learn continuously, wherever they are."

With over 2,600 maritime-specific courses, multiple accreditations (including DNV, NMA and The Nautical Institute), and deep integration with OCS HR for crew planning, Mintra's digital solutions are designed to safeguard life at sea in the face of unprecedented complexity.