The International Group of protection and indemnity insurers’ 13 members have teamed up to share operational information on coronavirus and provide it to shipowners.
A new digital tool was launched today on the International Group’s website that will act as a data base on a wide variety of information intended to help shipowners, charterers and operators navigate around the operational problems thrown up by the spread of coronavirus.
The information is drawn up from all the International Group members’ network of correspondents around the world. There is also additional information supplied by Wilhelmsen Ship Management and ship agency company GAC.
Also included is a global map of the spread of the disease provided by John Hopkins University.
The North P&I Club was instrumental in setting up the data base through the International Group. The North's chief executive Paul Jennings is also chairman of the International Group.
Jennings has long been a supporter of the International Group members sharing loss prevention information to limit claims.
The International Group’s current catchphrase is “collectively stronger.”
Jennings described the new website as a “valuable resource in the ongoing global fight against this disease.” He said it would “help the maritime community better understand and track the extent of COVID-19 worldwide.”
He said: “This understanding can help protect businesses and most importantly safeguard the lives of the seafarers whom we depend upon daily to keep our local communities supplied with essential goods.
"The development and launch of this tool clearly demonstrate the value of inter-club co-operation and contributes to a collectively stronger International Group. I salute and thank those P&I clubs and their teams that have led and supported this initiative.”
TradeWinds earlier reported how individual P&I Clubs have responded to the coronavirus crisis in a number of ways.
In one example the Swedish Club is using its Trade Enabling Loss Prevention (TELP) system to automatically relay information to shipowners on loss prevention advice based on the destination input on the ship’s automatic identification system.
