Inmarsat's Fleet Safety wins Safety4Sea technology award

(LONDON) — Inmarsat's new Fleet Safety maritime data service has been named winner in the technology category for the Safety4Sea Awards 2018. The award win, by public vote after shortlisting from a judging panel, acknowledged Fleet Safety as "a significant technological breakthrough" that will continue to improve the safety of mariners and vessels worldwide.
 
Fleet Safety covers the leisure, fishing and coastal markets, in addition to deep-sea merchant shipping, and has been developed for any vessel equipped with Inmarsat’s FleetBroadband, Fleet One or Inmarsat C connectivity. Two key features of Fleet Safety are SafetyNet II and RescueNet, which are specifically designed to enhance the communications available to seafarers in distress and facilitate swifter action by organizations planning and executing search and rescue operations.

Both features have already been used to save lives since the launch in 2017, including playing an instrumental role in the coordination of the rescue of a fishing vessel crew of six after they spent three days adrift 200 nautical miles off Tonga.

Inmarsat has also introduced a new maritime safety terminal for ships that supports Fleet Safety voice distress calling on a priority basis, meaning that those pressing the distress button are connected to the Maritime Rescue Coordination Centres (MRCCs) immediately. As part of GMDSS, Fleet Safety is free at the point of use.
 
“The Safety4Sea Awards acknowledge safety excellence and sustainable shipping,” said Peter Broadhurst, Inmarsat senior vice president, safety and security. “Winning in the technology category is fitting recognition of all the hard work that took place behind the scenes to make Fleet Safety a reality. It also celebrates our continuing commitment to real advances in distress communication and accident prevention at sea – the mission we committed ourselves to at the International Maritime Organization (IMO) on our foundation four decades ago."

By Ocean Navigator