TOKYO-Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd. (MOL; President & CEO: Takeshi Hashimoto) today announced that on November 19, it conducted a tabletop drill based on a simulation of a stranding incident involving a large ferry owned and operated by its group company MOL Sunflower Ltd. (President & CEO: Hirotoshi Ushioku; Head Office: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo).
During the drill, MOL confirmed emergency coordination with the group company and top executives Hashimoto and Ushioku, along with officials from both companies swiftly began discussions and deliberations from several viewpoints to grasp a deep understanding of the incident and determine an appropriate response, placing the highest priority on ensuring passenger safety.
The Japan Coast Guard and other outside parties were also invited to introduce case studies and provide critiques of the companies’ emergency response training and procedures.
The drill scenario
A ferry owned and operated by MOL Sunflower encountered a tsunami while underway to the Port of Shibushi and lost the ability to navigate under its own power before running aground off Cape Toi. According to the scenario, the vessel was taking on water, requiring the evacuation of all passengers and crewmembers.
Future initiatives
MOL is working to raise the safety awareness of the entire MOL Group in pursuit of “the world’s highest level of safety,” in addition to accumulating emergency response know-how cultivated through training and periodic tabletop drills.
