The 13th core skills course for Accident Investigation was held at EMSA premises in Lisbon, Portugal, from the 24th to the 28th April 2019. Sixteen participants from 13 EU countries attended the training.

The course introduced all pertinent stages in the process of conducting a marine casualty safety investigation as well as the relevant principles and tools to support the assessment of an accident site, the collection of physical evidence, the conduct of witness interviewing, analysis of human factors and underlying conditions, safety recommendations and follow up and dealing with investigation reports. The course also introduced to the investigators how they should handle the Media during the investigation. Case studies and practical examples with the active participation of the attendees were also included.

The objective of the training session was to enrich investigators knowledge and skills necessary to effectively investigate marine accidents in accordance with European Directive 2009/18/EC which establishes the fundamental principles governing the investigation of accidents in the maritime transport sector and the IMO’s Casualty Investigation Code.