Mitsui O.S.K. Lines Ltd., the operator of the Japanese freighter that spilled oil off the coast of Mauritius in July, pledged Friday to take measures to boost safety in operating both its own and chartered ships, saying its probe found the incident was due to a lack of safety awareness among crew members.
Mitsui O.S.K. Lines said it will set up surveillance cameras in the wheelhouse of its ships and ask owners of the chartered ships to do the same. The company will also prioritize giving new contracts to ships equipped with cameras and the appropriate communication systems, it said.
According to the operator, the captain and crew members of the Panamanian-flagged bulk carrier Wakashio failed to prepare marine charts of appropriate scale and to confirm the vessel's distance from the coast both visually and by radar observation.