The right moves when things go wrong

'Everyone involved – at sea and ashore – should know who does what in an emergency. Communication skills should be considered, and be supported by proper training. The emergency response team should plan ahead by considering different scenarios and carrying out drills accordingly.'

A former marine officer himself, Mr Damgaard knows what it's like to be on the shipboard side of an emergency. He points out how important it is for companies to have in place robust contingency plans to support the crew so they can focus on dealing with the onboard aspects of the incident. Part of this preparation is for the shore office to be ready to handle the media or maritime authorities, so that this pressure is taken off the crew.

Another aspect of good practice is to hold a debrief after the emergency is over, and it's important to listen to everyone involved in the incident – including the seafarers – so that lessons are learned, says Mr Damgaard.

'We do a lot of training for shipping companies on learning from what went wrong in the past, and we highlight the necessity of shoreside support when safety-critical decisions are required, such as restow of containers that haven't been loaded correctly. This may take time and come with a cost, but it's better than having a container stack collapse.'

What you should expect from your employer

For Nautilus director of legal services Charles Boyle, good practice means that a company should have a 'just culture'. This means that an employer is open to workers reporting mistakes without being penalised, so that safety lessons can be implemented. The opposite of this is a situation where workers are disciplined or criminalised, and become scapegoats for wider failings in a company. 'Employers should not be too quick to judge, and they should prioritise supporting their own employees,' he says.

Companies should also encourage employees to access the support that unions can offer members in an emergency, including having witnesses present in interviews.

Call Nautilus before speaking to investigators

Nautilus is always ready to help members affected by a maritime incident, Mr Boyle stresses. 'Please call us before anyone else: either contact your national branch or use the Nautilus 24/7 service if it's outside European office hours.'

The Union has long experience of representing members who are being questioned about an incident, and can help untangle the mess of different authorities with a stake in a case (possibly including the flag state, the state in whose waters the incident took place, the state where the vessel is owned, and the states where the seafarers are from).

'We can also help members understand who they are talking to, and what different bodies do. For example, you may be asked to speak to an investigative body equivalent to the UK Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB), which seeks to find out what happened and make safety recommendations, but not to allocate blame. Or you might find yourself dealing with the equivalent of the UK Maritime & Coastguard Agency (MCA), which can bring criminal prosecutions.

'Then there are the P&I Clubs, who are not necessarily there to give you a hard time, but you should not forget that they answer to your employer. We would urge you to call us first, whoever you are being asked to speak to.'