In June 2026, IOGP published its global safety performance data for 2025. The results included fatal and high-potential events involving line-of-fire exposure, fires, explosions, dropped objects and falls from height. IOGP observed that the industry had encountered similar incidents before.
The IADC Incident Statistics Program provides a comparable benchmark for drilling contractors. Its 2025 report covers more than 400 million working hours across onshore and offshore operations.
These reports demonstrate that information about a hazard may be widely available without being consistently converted into prevention.
Deep-sea mining should consider this before commercial operations begin. Its technology and operating configurations will contain new elements, but many underlying hazards are already familiar from offshore petroleum, drilling, marine contracting and shipping.
Collective data provides a wider picture
A single contractor may experience few serious events and have insufficient internal data to identify patterns. Low incident numbers do not necessarily demonstrate low risk, particularly during limited exploration and testing campaigns.
Combined reporting allows an industry to identify recurring activities, hazards and control weaknesses across several organisations. The IMCA Safety Statistics provide annual reports and benchmark presentations based on information submitted by marine contractors. IMCA also produces aggregated reviews of dynamic-positioning events and common vessel-inspection findings.
This wider perspective will be important for deep-sea mining. Contractors will operate different systems, but they will depend on many of the same vessel operations, subsea activities, contractors and safety-critical controls.
Learning should extend beyond accidents
An effective learning system should include high-potential events, critical-control failures, recurring inspection findings and unexpected environmental observations. It should also include improvement opportunities identified during normal work.
The IMCA review of dynamic-positioning events reported in 2024 illustrates the value of analysing operational events collectively. The objective is not simply to count failures, but to identify causes and prevent recurrence across the wider sector.
This distinction matters. An event that causes no injury or environmental harm may still expose a serious weakness in equipment, planning or decision-making.
Learning while experience develops
Shipping also provides a relevant example of learning during the introduction of new technology.
BIMCO’s 2026 guidance for safety management systems on methanol-fuelled ships recognises that operational experience from this emerging technology remains limited. It recommends using information from pilot projects, risk assessments, nonconformities, equipment failures, near misses and experience shared by other operators to improve procedures and training.
The technology is different, but the management challenge is similar to DSM. Operational knowledge develops gradually, several organisations contribute to the system, and safety arrangements must evolve as evidence becomes available.
The IMO casualty-analysis process provides a further model. Investigation findings from different flag States are analysed to identify common safety issues and produce lessons for wider preventive use.
Leadership determines what is shared
Industry-wide learning depends on companies being willing to disclose weaknesses and high-potential events that may reflect poorly on their performance. Leaders must establish clear expectations, protect legitimate reporting and respond consistently when concerns are raised.
A learning culture does not remove accountability. Deliberate violations, concealment and repeated failure to implement agreed controls require a different response from an honest report of error, uncertainty or an unexpected outcome.
Confidentiality must also be managed properly. Commercially sensitive information and personal data may need protection, but relevant findings can normally be anonymised and presented around the hazard, contributing factors and required improvements.
Generating operational knowledge
The emerging Mining Code could support shared learning through common reporting definitions, publication of non-confidential findings and periodic analysis of trends across contractors. The ISA’s 2026 proposals on inspection, compliance and enforcement include possible dissemination of good practice arising from inspection activities. Contractors could find appropriate arenas to share data between themselves.
The industry should not, however, wait for a complete regulatory requirement. Contractors, sponsoring States, vessel operators and technology providers already have a collective interest in preventing repeat events.
ISO management-system principles provide the internal mechanism for applying external lessons. ISO 45001 supports incident investigation, worker participation and corrective action. ISO 9001 addresses organisational knowledge and evaluation of improvement measures, while ISO 14001 applies the same logic to environmental findings.
Deep-sea mining must generate its own operational knowledge, but it does not need to begin with an empty library. Findings from related industries could be assessed for relevance and followed up to verify their effectiveness.
Bruncell Larsen Strategic Advisory supports organisations working with HSE governance, regulatory compliance and management-system effectiveness in complex maritime activities. Please contact me if you would like to discuss these issues further.
