Hiring ship security personnel and armed guards – What you need to know

Ship operators hire armed guards to countenance the potential use of lethal force to defend a vessel in extreme and proscribed circumstances. It’s a serious business and has potentially significant consequences; however, there continues to be a trend within some quarters of the industry that devalues the importance of armed guarding through low prices and loose guidelines.
The costs of placing armed guards has risen well since the dislocation caused by COVID-19 took effect, but this does not mask the persistent down coerce on prices over the former 24 months and barely alleviates the fiscal pressures of increase manoeuver costs and reduce business bulk induced by the pandemic. In response, this precipitated a slipstream to the bottom price war amongst some providers looking to retain market share at all costs. To achieve reduced prices compromises have been made, short-cuts taken, standards lowered, blind-eyes turned, ignorance and emotionlessness ingrained on both sides of the issue and demand equation. however, failing to understand and assess the menace for each specific transportation system, ignoring and failing to interrogate fiscal substance, capability and operational standards of the private maritime security company ( PMSC ) is a dangerous game and has serious consequences .
The shock of Covid-19 on the movement of personnel between vessels and ports, the exsert levels of isolation at sea, poor people working conditions and financially struggling PMSC ’ s mean there are a number of significant factors that vessel operators need to consider. due application in terms of SOLAS and fiscal viability are of overriding importance to safeguard cargo, gang and reputation. In light of functional difficulties an increasing number of operators are failing to carry out due diligence on the armed guards they use, opting for the cheapest options to ensure they meet the minimum requirements of their insurance providers for transits through high gamble areas like the Gulf of Aden and indian Ocean .
When it comes to hiring personnel with intend security duties including arm guards, vessel operators will constantly get the service they pay for and frankincense are liable for the associated heighten risks of dealing with such providers.

Vessel protection and armed defend should be defined by the highest of standards and needs to provide vessel operators with choice assurance at its best. In a commoditising industry we aim to stand out for our refusal to cut corners .

Vessel Protection: Armed Guard Due Diligence checklist
Why is it important to complete a due diligence  checklist ?
For each ocean trip, the decision to engage a PMSC is an operational one, which should be based on a bespoke voyage-specific risk assessment. due diligence in the selection of a individual maritime security company ( PMSC ) is indeed able to be conducted upstream of such a necessity but should be thorough and potentially revisited in separate if their engagement is deemed necessary .
Read our ascribable diligence checklist .
Case study: Private Maritime Security Company (PMSC) Alphard


In two offprint incidents in July and August 2020 a ukranian individual maritime security contractile organ working for PMSC Alphard hijacked two vessels and their gang in a quarrel over shape conditions and pay .

Eagle Bulk Jaeger Supramax 
On July 21, the Jaeger majority carrier embarked three security guards in the indian Ocean before sailing towards the Red Sea, a theodolite through the High Risk Area ( HRA ) that the Eagle Bulk company has completed for all transits for over ten years .
Reporting from Splash247 detailed the incident :
“ Once on display panel, one of the guards did not surrender his weapon to the vessel ’ randomness master as is normal protocol, and then took control of and deviated the ship from its course as he voiced his grievances and demand recompense over belated wage payments owed by his private security firm. While the guard discharged his weapon onboard the vessel, at no time did he directly threaten or damage any of the crewmembers. The remaining two guards did not participate in the action .
Eagle Bulk, in coordination with maritime security experts, worked to deescalate the situation and after approximately three days, the defend surrendered his weapon and allowed the ship to continue on its original course. relevant authorities were kept appraised throughout the incident, and the guard was disembarked on Thursday night ” .
Golden Palm
On August 21st, the same disgruntle ukranian placid working for secret nautical security company Alphard, broke into the arsenal onboard the Golden Palm, operated by Spain ’ s Palm Charters, and took the crew hostage again in his crusade over back pay. The tense stand-off aboard the float arsenal in the Red Sea was resolved without incident.
The ukranian guard had been stuck at sea for over 5 months, without pay and with no prospect of relief. Although a grievous criminal act, the circumstances obviously drove him to desperation .
The Eagle Bulk and Golden Palm incidents aren ’ t isolated, they are just underreported in the public domain. What the PMSC ’ sulfur are facing is a atmospheric pressure cooker of factors that are putting unacceptable levels of atmospheric pressure on crew and guards .
The  challenges faced by  Private Maritime Security Companies
The incidents onboard the Eagle Bulk and Golden Palm shine a light on the despairing make conditions faced by some private nautical security personnel .

PMSCs continue to offer perilously low prices for the compress of their guard services which has a knock-on effect for its employees. ship operators have a duty of care to ensure that the PMSC they select to sign for their transit security requirements maintains the highest standards in relation to seafarer ‘s benefit and industry best drill .

At Dryad Global, we act as a agent to supply embark security teams through our product, Orion Protect. Alongside thorough and frequent due application checks on the PMSC ’ s that we shrink, we besides have an established and potent working relationship to ensure the correct vessel auspices standard is contracted for the particular risk of the ship operators’ transit .
PMSC best practice case-study:
Our ORION PROTECT armed guard brokerage solution provides a bespoke transit risk appraisal for our clients ’ voyage. particular to a transit ’ s road we act as brokers to supply embark security teams. One of the companies we partner with is UK based Protection Vessels International, an established and choice assured private nautical security company .
Protection Vessels International :

• aged management offers clean leadership and places health, base hit, security and environmental assurance as a top priorit yttrium

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  .

• phosphorus ositive accident performance rates, nothing prosecutions and high standards of third party assessment against international ISO standards .
• supply chain ownership with investment in Galle logistics hub .

• f ull time armourers as part of a team which guarantees control and farming of all kit and equipment .
• hearty logistic footprint help s short notice moves of security teams to port mho .
• long term investment in staff and guards, including thyroxine he best coach and the best duty of manage in the industry .
• Outstanding diligence reputation for embark security teams .
• I mpeccable traverse criminal record, 7000 successful maritime security transits – the strongest chase phonograph record in the industry and o five 4000 cross decks in the Red Sea – a unique service with no delays whatever the weather.

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Value does not mean depleted cost as we have seen in the case study and we continue to champion quality with honest price which is a key benefit of the relationships we hold within the brokerage house servicing .